Come Back Down
by xRainxFallxDownx
Summary: Lily, Delilah, Loraina, James, Sirius, and Remus are in for one hell of a seventh year. With a Dark Lord on the rise, new changes, new friendships, and new love, can they make it? JamesLily, SiriusDelilah, RemusLoraina
1. Coming Home

Delilah Monroe is the last person in the world I had pictured myself with. We fought constantly, and, hot as she was, she just didn't seem like my type. I'll admit it, I generally like my girls cute and stupid. Delilah had the cute part down, but she was far from stupid. She seemed to constantly be thinking, she talked loudly and always had something to say, and was, for lack of a better word, musicl. I had always pictured myself with someone more low-key, someone who would laugh at all my stupid jokes, someone who didn't have all that much going on in her head...I guess I was wrong. My name is Sirius Black, and this, my friends, is a Marauder Story.

Lily Evans. Even her name was perfect. I mean, really, can you get much better then Lily? She was gorgeous, with dark red hair and emerald green eyes. The main problem was, she hated me. She abso-frigging-lutely hated my guts. In my seventh year, I was determined to win her over. I knew that somewhere beyond that hatred for me, deep down, I knew she had a thing for me. I just had to get her to let me in. My name is James Potter, and this is a Marauder Story.

Loraina Parker hit me like a ton of bricks. She was everything I'd always wanted, and I'd never noticed her before. She was sweet, sensitive, and altogether mysterious. She was constantly writing in some notebook or other, and her serenity was magnetizing. She was the strongest person I knew emotionally, as well as magically, and her main goal in life was to help others. My name is Remus Lupin, and this is a Marauder Story.

Sirius Black was the boy I swore to never love. He was rebellious, cocky, and devilishly handsome. He had such an effortless ease about him, and an even more effortless charm. The fact that I had gotten into numerous shouting matches with him and several of his cousins was just the icing on the cake. Tragedy can do weird things to us, I guess, and I found myself being drawn closer and closer to Sirius. We had more in common then I liked to admit. My name is Delilah Monroe, and this, my loves, is the story of three average girls destined to be extraordinary.

James Potter. I couldn't stand him for six years. I absolutely hated him, loathed him, and despised him. He was everything I wasn't; popular, athletic, charming, conceited, wealthy...the list goes on and on. In my seventh year, I allowed him to break down the walls I had so carefully built around my heart, and for once, I let myself think with my heart and not my head. Miss Independant, as my friends called me, fell in love. My name is Lily Evans, and this is the story of three average girls destined to be extraordinary.

Remus Lupin came into my life like a gust of wind; sudden, and forceful. I had never really spoken to him before, and we had never bothered to get to know each other. He was all I'd ever wanted. Remus was intelligent, caring, and sweet. There was something about him that seemed haunted and dark, but he hid it carefully under a mask that he constructed carefully. I wanted to see the boy under the mask, and when I did, I was drawn in by a love stronger then love. My name is Loraina Parker, and this is the story of three average girls destined to be extraordinary.

Lily's POV

Entering my seventh year, I was ecstatic. I was named Head Girl, something I had dreamed of since entering Hogwarts. My best friends were by my side, and I didn't need anything else, especially not a boy, and especially not James Potter.

"Lily!" Delilah screamed across the platform. I ran to my friend, who looked beautiful as usual. She was easily one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen, although she would never, ever admit she was even pretty. She had long, golden hair that went just past her chest. Her blue eyes were a captivating, navy color, with a shocking circle of gold in the middle.

"Delilah!" I shouted back. We ran to each other and embraced, happy to see each other. We just needed one more person to complete our trio, and, as if on cue, Loraina joined us, letting out a small giggle as we practically tackled her.

Loraina, as far was we knew, had a hell of a home life. She pretended like she didn't care, but we could tell. She had only mentioned her family once in the six years we'd been best friends, and it had been to say that her father was a bastard and her mother a drunken bitch. Loraina was gorgeous, with wavy platinum blonde hair and sage green eyes. Everything about her simply screamed innocence.

As we boarded the train, I noticed that Loraina was receiving quite a few approving looks from boys. It was definitely noticeable that Loraina had changed quite a bit over the summer, at least physically. As we walked by the compartment which held my enemy, James Potter, I noticed his best friend Remus Lupin widen his eyes as they fell upon Loraina. I had always liked Remus, besides the fact that he hung out with total idiots.

"Evans," Potter said cockily, leaning against the post of the compartment. I rolled my eyes dramatically.

"Potter," I replied back in a bored, flat voice.

"You're Head Girl, eh?" he said, nodding at my pin. I nodded back at him. "Good, cause I'm Head Boy."

I burst out laughing, while my friends looked at each other with concern in their eyes. They obviously didn't know he was kidding, right?

"That's the best joke I've ever heard," I giggled once I'd calmed down. James looked rather hurt by that.

"I'm not kidding," he deadpanned. The smile dropped from my face instantly. I looked at the pin that was on his chest and my jaw dropped.

"Oh my God," I whispered in horror. He smirked again, and I glared at him.

Remus POV

I couldn't help but notice the girl with platinum hair standing beside Lily. Her eyes were captivating, and her pale skin was practically glowing. I'm not usually one for sappy romance, but I could have sworn this girl was an angel. I smiled at her, raising one hand in a slight wave, and she looked around, as if checking for someone behind her before smiling back at me unsurely.

"Hi," I greeted. James and Lily were currently bickering as they walked to the Prefect compartment, where they would be holding a meeting. I would have to leave in a few minutes, but until then, I wanted to talk to this mystery girl. "I'm Remus Lupin."

"I know," she said softly. "I've been in your year and house for six years."

I instantly felt guilty. How had I never noticed her before? She was dressed in the most simple way, in jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt. Her blonde hair was in a single braid, which swept over one shoulder and went down to a few inches above her waist.

"Of course," I said awkwardly. She stood there, unsure, for a moment or two, before opening her mouth to speak.

"My name is Loraina. Loraina Parker."

"I'm Sirius Black," Sirius introduced, pushing his bangs aside and winking at her with one gray eye. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

A girl I recognized as Delilah Monroe blinked in surprise before turning to Loraina.

"Loraina, would you mind finding a compartment? I need to talk to Remus really fast."

"Okay. I'll go put my stuff down. I have to go to the Prefect meeting, though," Loraina said uncertainly. I grinned to myself. So, she would be taking over Lily's spot as the Gryffindor 7th year prefect.

As Loraina shuffled away, Delilah closed our compartment door with a snap and her blue eyes suddenly turned cold as she turned to Sirius.

"Stay away from Loraina," she growled. He retreated in surprise before smirking.

"Why should I?"

"Because you're no good. She's too good for you, Black," she huffed.

"No one is too good for me," Sirius bragged. I glared at him as well.

"Just please stay away from her," Delilah tried again, this time with a pleading look in her eyes. "She's a really sweet girl and I know your game."

"Whatever," Sirius scoffed. "There are other fish in the sea."

"Good," Delilah said smugly. "Remus, you might want to go to the prefect meeting. Oh, and if you can find Loraina, she might need help getting there."

With that, she sent me a sly wink and sauntered out of the compartment, leaving Sirius a bit surprised and me shell shocked. Was it just my imagination, or had Delilah just made Sirius back off for my sake? How could she tell that I was already falling for her friend who I didn't even know? Women's intuition, probably. At least, that's what I wrote it off as.

Sirius POV

With Moony and Prongs _both _in the dork meeting, I was left on my own to wander the train aimlessly and decide who I wanted to prank first thing. I walked down the aisle, ever so casually checking out the girls in each one. Oddly enough, I wanted a real relationship this year, unlike the ones I had before. Sure, it was fun hooking up with as many random girls as I could, but maybe James and Remus were right, and I needed to settle down.

When I had first seen Loraina, she was the perfect option. She seemed nice, and like someone who wouldn't be too pushy or demanding. Delilah had quickly shot that down, though. I wasn't entirely sure what Delilah's deal was. I knew for certain that she didn't like me, ever since first year when I pushed her into the lake on the way to the sorting. She was definitely super hot, but it didn't seem like there was much to her beyond being loud and being attractive.

As I passed by her compartment, I saw her sitting alone, strumming away on a black acoustic guitar. I had a guitar that was very, very similar. Mine, however, had a silver lion drawn on it by James, who was quite the artist.

I stood still, trying to listen as inconspicuously as I could. I loved music; I wrote it, sang it, and played it. Not many people knew that, of course. Only James, Remus, and James's parents. The song she was playing was extremely familiar. It was by a popular band called Everlast, and as she played, I listened to her sing as well. Her voice was amazing. It was strong, yet fragile, and sweet yet edgy.

She suddenly shivered and looked up. My eyes widened. I was caught. Giving her an awkward nod, I hot footed it back to my compartment. Delilah Monroe. She was quite the shocker, that one.

James POV

When we got through the feast and everything else, Lily and I went up to the special Head's dormitory, where we would be living for the school year. Lily, was, of course, disgusted at the thought of living with me, but I shook it off. She wanted me, I could tell.

"Okay, Potter," Lily said as we entered our common room. Our very nice common room, I might add. "Here are the ground rules. No coming into my room. No waking me up. And absolutely no coming in at odd hours of the night."

"Yes, mum," I said sarcastically. Lily glared at me and marched up to her room. She suddenly stopped on the stairs and turned to me.

"By the way, my friends are staying the night tonight."

With that, she left, and I shook my head ruefully. Lily Evans. What a piece of work.

Loraina POV

How I ended up with the first day back duty, I don't know. But, I was stuck wandering the hallways in an extremely awkward silence with a Ravenclaw boy named Andrew Johnson. He seemed nice enough, but he was ogling me in a very uncomfortable way. Originally, I was going to be doing these rounds with Remus Lupin, the other prefect from my house. For some reason, Andrew made some sort of crazy excuse to do his rounds for the week tonight.

"So...what's your favorite color?" I asked before mentally smacking myself. Who asks that?

"Erm...green. Yours?" he asked.

"Blue," I replied queitly, playing with my hands.

When the torture of the rounds were over and I finally got to leave Andrew to his own devices, I practically sprinted to the Heads common room, where Lily and Delilah were waiting up for me, sleeping bags sprawled on the floor. Delilah was holding her guitar in one hand and a mug of hot chocolate in the other. Lily was lounging on her stomach, reading a magazine. They hadn't noticed I was there yet. Delilah put her mug on the ground and starting strumming on her guitar while Lily slowly nodded to the music.

I stood and beamed at my best friends. They were my family, and I was finally coming home.


	2. Buddy Buddy With The Marauders

Delilah was awoken by a loud snickering. She sat up on her elbows, puzzled by the noise. Lily and Loraina also stirred, grumbling and groaning. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she looked around the slightly unfamiliar common room to be met with a cackling Sirius Black. Her first instinct was to check each of her limbs, making sure they were all attached and in their proper places. She then narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

He simply continued to giggle his little heart out while Delilah turned to her friends in utter confusion. When she watched Lily's mouth drop open and Loraina's eyes widen significantly, she leapt up and ran to the mirror on the wall.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" she yelled angrily. Her hair was fire engine red, and her face was gold.

"Just wanted to get into the Gryffindor spirit," Sirius choked out through his laughs. He wasn't positive why he wanted to prank her so badly, but he didn't regret it as she tackled him to the ground.

"You are such a prat!" she screeched, hitting him angrily in the chest.

"Really, now, Delilah, you should have told me you wanted me this badly."

"URGH!" she yelled, practically flying off of him. "You are the most insufferable, moronic boy I have ever met!"

"Why thank you," he drawled.

With one final scream of irritation, Delilah dashed up the stairs toward what she thought was Lily's room. For a moment, Lily considered telling her she was going the wrong way, but decided against it, for once enjoying the humor of the moment.

Remus entered the room, dressed in uniform like Sirius, chuckling. "I presume he pulled it off, then?"

"Did he ever," Loraina giggled before blushing as she realized that she was clad in a pair of extremely short red plaid shorts and a far too small white tank top.

Remus allowed his eyes to rove over her once before straightening up and politely looking her in the face. "Where'd she go?"

"AHHHHHH!" came two screams, one decidedly male and one most definitely female.

"There's my ray of sunshine," Sirius said, lying across the couch casually. Lily narrowed her eyes ever so slightly before shaking her head. She was trying to lighten up this year. It was her last one, and she wanted to enjoy it to its fullest.

Delilah appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking absolutely mortified. "I just walked in on James. Naked," she stuttered. Simultaneously, everyone burst into laughter, Lily and Loraina holding onto each other for dear life. Remus hit the ground in laughter, while Sirius buried his face in the couch cushion.

"It's not funny!" she exclaimed indignantly. When no one responded, she growled and stormed out of the room, into the halls of Hogwarts.

"She does realize that she's wandering the halls in a short little nightgown, right?" Remus said when they had finally stopped laughing.

"I doubt it," Sirius said. "But that just makes it so much more fun!"

Lily leaned back on the couch where Sirius laid, a smile on her face and her eyes dancing. This was definitely a fun way to start out her last year.

Lily had not expected Delilah to be mad at her and Loraina when they went to breakfast. Delilah had repaired her appearance, so she was back to normal, but the glare on her face was definitely not part of the normal Delilah.

"What's up?" Loraina asked cautiously as she sat beside her friend.

"I can't believe you two," Delilah growled.

"What?" Lily gasped.

"All of a sudden, you're all buddy buddy with the Marauders and laughing at _my _expense. Especially you, Lily."

"I'm really sorry about that," Loraina said, biting her lip. "I just don't want to have any enemies. It's our last year, and you have to admit, it was pretty funny."

"Yeah. Can't we just enjoy this year? I'm gonna be forced to live with and work with Potter all year long as it is. I might as well try and be friends with him, right?"

"I guess so," Delilah agreed grudgingly.

"Good. Now let's get to class," Lily smiled as they finished up breakfast and headed to their first class, Transfiguration. As they walked in, they were surprised to find a seating chart on the board. Lily groaned as she realized she would be apart from her friends, who were relatively close to one another.

She morosely took her seat beside a Hufflepuff named Ryan Eatonson. When she looked over at her friends, she giggled. Loraina was sitting awkwardly beside James Potter, and Remus was looking anxiously at Delilah, as if she was a time bomb. Rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to the board, where notes on review were already appearing, she turned to the boy next to her.

He was average looking, with light brown hair and brown eyes. He smiled at her and introduced himself, as did she. "Are you on the Quidditch team?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "We're not the best, but we have fun."

"That's all that counts," Lily said sweetly.

"You don't play, do you?"

"No, no, no," Lily said, shaking her head several times. "Me and brooms do _not _have a very good relationship."

"I take it you're scared of heights, then?"

"That obvious?"

"Yep," he said back cheerily. Lily laughed slightly and kept taking her notes.

James turned to Loraina with an annoyed expression. "Is Lily flirting with that guy?"

"No," Loraina said innocently. "She's just being friendly."

"Oh. Okay."

A moment of silent passed by. "You really like her, don't you?"

"I thought that bit was obvious," he said sardonically.

"It kind of seems like she's just a conquest, to be honest," Loraina said shyly. When he looked slightly offended, she backpedaled. "No offence."

"None taken," James lied. "She's actually being half civil to me, though."

"She wants to enjoy this year. No enemies. That kind of thing."

"That's good," James said with a smile. "How about you? You like anyone?"

"You could say that," Loraina replied, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Not really," she said. "Now shush. McGonagall's talking."

Meanwhile, Remus and Delilah were off to quite a good start.

"I'm sorry for laughing at you this morning," Remus said amicably.

"No problem," Delilah said bashfully. "I overreacted a tad."

"Just a bit," Remus agreed with a wink. She laughed and nudged him.

"You do know why I told Sirius to stay away from Loraina, right?"

"Why?" Remus said, feigning ignorance.

"I could see the way you were looking at her. It's obvious you like her."

"I hardly know her."

"Then get to know her," Delilah shrugged.

"She makes it a little difficult, if you hadn't noticed," Remus said to her with a look.

"Yeah, I know," Delilah nodded. "Don't worry, she'll open up soon enough."

"I hope so."

Two weeks later, the teens had formed something of a strong friendship. This friendship is the reason why Delilah found herself on the Quidditch pitch, trying out for the spot of seeker. James, the captain, was grinning at her, tossing the quaffle from one hand to the other. Lily and Loraina were watching from the stands.

"Okay Delilah," James said. "I'm gonna release the snitch and time how fast you can catch it, okay?"

She nodded nervously and shakily mounted her broom. Right before she took off, she felt a warm hand on her arm and turned to see Sirius giving her an encouraging smile.

"Good luck," he grinned. "Not like you'll need it."

"Thanks, Sirius," she said back sweetly and took off in the air.

When she got up in the air, all nervousness was evaporated from her body. She was ready to go, and almost immediately, she spotted the gold ball with wings. Deciding to show off a bit, she weaved in and out of fancy maneuvers. She caught the snitch in what could have been record time.

"Woohoo!" hooted Sirius, who raised his arms up above is head. "Way to go Delilah!"

She turned to grin at him, although he probably couldn't see her, she was so high up, and as she turned, she was met with a bludger...right to the stomach. It knocked the wind out of her, and knocked her off of her broom. She gripped the polished wood with one hand, although her hand was slipping. Just as she was about to get back on, another bludger hit her, this time in the head.

Everything went black as she tumbled to the ground.


	3. Would You Just Shut Up?

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And I'm sorry for getting James's position mixed up. I could have sworn that he was chaser in the books, but seeker in the movies. I'm so confused! Also, I'm trying to work on the Sue tendencies that Loraina and Delilah are developing. Hopefully the next few chapters will clear up any doubts. Another thing, I'm trying my best to keep from rushing things, but I want them to have a strong friendship as soon as possible. That's why I made Delilah be injured, so it would form a bond kind of thing.**

Lily had never felt more terrified in her life then that instant, when she was watching her best friend plummet over three hundred feet to the ground. She was unable to move, unable to think, and it all happened so fast. Loraina had let out the most blood curdling, heart wrenching scream ever heard, and several people had raced to her side. Delicate hands covered her mouth, and tears were slowly filling her jade eyes.

"NO!" Lily screamed as she watched Delilah.

Sirius was sprinting down the pitch, where he was positive she would land. He probably wouldn't be able to catch her, but Goddamn it he was going to try. His lungs were burning as he ran, but saving the girl he had come to have some sort of confusing affection for was the only thing on his mind. When he finally reached the spot where she was going to fall, he wasn't able to catch her in time. He fired a mediocre softening charm at the grass at the last minute. She hit the ground with a sickening crack, and Sirius fell to his knees beside her.

"DELILAH!" Loraine yelled, running down the stands and dashing to her friend's side, sitting beside Sirius. She pulled her friend's head into her lap, swallowing the lump in her throat as the warm, sticky blood absorbed into her jeans.

Lily was right behind her, dropping to the ground and grabbing at her Delilah's hand desperately. James was soon there as well, Remus next to him, and the blonde leviated Delilah onto a stretcher that he conjured.

"We've got to get her to Madam Gavioti," Remus said in a rushed tone.

As soon as they brought her up, they were kicked out of the wing and told to sit outside. The nurse was contacting her parents and working urgently on Delilah. Sirius sunk against the wall outside the wing, his head in his hands. Whatever he'd been feeling for Delilah was intensified by hundreds in that moment of watching her fall. His heart had twisted like a pretzel, his mind had stopped forming any sort of tangible thought, and his entire soul was on fire.

"Sirius?" Lily asked gently, sitting in front of him and lightly pulling his hands away from his face. "It's gonna be all right."

"No," he said, his voice gruff. "It's not."

"C'mon now," she said, trying her hardest to put a smile on. "I've gotten to know you rather well these past couple of weeks, and you're never one to be a pessemist."

"Not this time," he grumbled, banging the back of his head on the stone wall.

"I can't believe this is happening," Loraina said, sitting beside him. Lily sat on his other side, and Remus and James sat in front of them.

"I know," Remus said gravely. He looked paler then normal, but he'd looked like that all day long.

"Remus, are you all right?" Loraina asked in concern. "You look a bit peaky."

"I'm fine," he said unconvincingly. She shrugged it off and pretended like she believed him, but deep down was not going to let it go that easily. Loraina wasn't quite sure what it was, but there was something about Remus Lupin that drew her in.

Two nights later, Loraina snuck down into the Gryffindor common room, in a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants and a black T-shirt. Her platinum hair was thrown over one shoulder, falling in its natural, loose waves. Her eyes were rimmed lightly with red from crying, and she sniffled slightly as she collapsed into an armchair.

When she heard a quiet cough from the other end of the room, she gasped in surprise. At two in the morning on a Sunday night, she didn't expect anyone else to be in the common room. When Remus made his way over to her cautiously, she smiled shakily. He pulled her up by the hands, hugging her to him without a word. She snuggled into the crook of his neck, breathing in his musky, comforting scent.

"I knew you'd be down here," he mumbled into her hair, which, he noted, smelled like oranges. She pulled up, looking at him with an amused expression.

"That isn't creepy at all," she teased, sitting down on the couch, allowing him to sit beside her. She surprised him by leaning into him, cuddling up into his side.

"You doing all right?" he mumbled, stroking her platinum locks.

"Good as expected," she murmured back. "Better then Sirius, at any rate."

"He's a right mess, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Loraina said. "I didn't know they were that close."

"They weren't, is the thing," Remus said. "I mean sure, they were friends, we all are, but let's face it, we've only really known each other for a couple of weeks."

"Yeah," Loraina said, her tone slightly sad. "I'm gonna go back to bed. Goodnight, Remus."

And, as if it took all of her courage, she turned back to him, a determined look on her face. Loraina took in a shaky breath and kissed him lightly on the cheek before dashing back up the stairs. The electricity that flowed through Remus was undeniable as his face heated up.

They were able to visit Delilah two days after that; Sirius was the first one in. He sat beside her eagerly, his hand immediately holding hers. She raised her eyebrows at him in confusion. She looked to be fully healed, and judging by her restlessness, she was.

"I hate this place," Delilah complained.

"Don't we all," Lily agreed, sitting at her feet on the bed.

"Did anyone ever figure out where those bludgers came from?" Delilah asked, rubbing her head in memory.

"I never really thought about it," James said in confusion. "We were all so worried about you..."

"You forgot the fact that both your beaters and the bludgers that belong to Gryffindor were safely on the ground," Delilah drawled, giving him a look. He shrugged with a small wince, and Delilah laughed.

"I'm just glad you're all right," Sirius said sappily. Delilah gave him a weird look and shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts.

"Hey, guess what?" Delilah said eagerly. "Madam Gavioti said that I'm allowed to play Quidditch!"

"Thank Merlin!" James said, slumping back in relief. "I was hoping she'd give you the okay."

"Yeah, she said something about there being a cushioning charm when I hit the ground," Delilah said with a faraway look on her face.

"We should let you rest if you're gonna be up for classes and the like tomorrow," Lily said.

"No!" Delilah half-shouted. "You can't leave me on my own! My parents are coming!"

"And that's so bad, why?" James asked in confusion. She gave him an annoyed look before ignoring him.

"Oh boy," Lily said. "Fine, we'll stay. Maybe the boys should leave, though."

"Yeah. Guys, leave," Loraina snapped. They all looked at her, surprised at her snippy reaction. The guys said their goodbyes and then left, while the girls awaited the apparently dreaded arrival of Delilah's parents.

"You guys ready for this?" Delilah said dramatically before giggling slightly.

"Born ready," Loraina said in mock seriousness.

"You've been watching one too many of those muggle cowvies," Delilah said smugly, proud of her use of muggle terminology. Lily burst into laughter.

"That would be a _movie, _Delilah," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "You witches. Can't get your facts straight."

"And you mudbloods," came a sneering voice. "Dirtying up our world."

"Shut up, Dad," growled Delilah.

"Don't speak unless spoken to," her father replied coldly, rapping the ground with his walking stick.

"You don't seem injured," her mother sniffed. "Why we had to come here, I don't understand."

"Appearances, Eleanor, appearances are everything," her father said, waving off his wife with one hand.

"But William, I'm missing the luncheon!" Eleanor Monroe whined.

"Oh would you both just shut up!" Loraina snapped, standing up and placing her hands on the bed. "Your daughter just went through one hell of an accident, and all you can do is complain about being here!"

"And who might you be?" William Monroe asked through gritted teeth.

Loraina laughed, half way to hysterical. "Oh, yes, because no one can ever fucking remember me! For your effing information, my name is Loraina _Parker. _I believe you and my father are dear _friends!" _

Delilah had a furious expression on her face while Lily looked terrified. William turned upon Loraina, his eyes alight with fury. Eleanor simply looked bored, examining her nails and checking her diamond encrusted watch.

"Your father is Blake Parker, then?"

"Yes," Loraina hissed.

"You had better watch what you say," William sneered. "And whom you say it to. Goodbye, Daisy."

"Her name is Delilah," Lily said, puzzled.

"Shut up, mudblood," William snapped. Lily drew back. "Come, Eleanor."

"Goodbye, Father," Delilah said, her eyes focused on her bedspread. As soon as the door closed, Delilah reeled on Loraina, who was breathing heavily. "LORAINA, YOU ARE THE BIGGEST IDIOT I HAVE EVER MET! AND THAT INCLUDES SIRIUS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? MY FATHER IS AN EVIL MAN, AND YOU'VE JUST GOTTEN YOURSELF AND EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT INVOLVED!"

"I WAS STICKING UP FOR YOU!" Loraina screamed back.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I DON'T NEED ANYONE'S HELP!"

"Of course you don't," Loraina said, her voice hollow. "I'm leaving."

"Loraina, wait..." Delilah said.

"No," Loraina said, shaking her head with a humorless laugh. "I've heard apologies like this too many times. I'm _gone." _

Lily stood between her two friends, one pale hand over her mouth. This was the first time Loraina had ever fought with them. Sure, Lily and Delilah had fought several times; both of them were known to be extremely bitchy when the moment accounted for it, but never Loraina.

"What just happened?" Lily said to no one in particular.

"I have no idea," Delilah said. "But I don't like it."


	4. Like Old Times

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Salvation-ala-mode is officially a life saver. I'm trying very hard to make my charachters believeable, and I realize that I'm going too fast with the plot, so I'm gonna take the time to slow it down. So thank you, Salvation-ala-mode for helping me out sooo much! And for people who think I have my James Potter facts wrong, I found these on the internet, confirmed by J.K. Rowling. **

**He was a ****chaser. **** He was only playing with a snitch because it is more impressive than a quaffle. And he ****was Head Boy. ****Don't ask me how, because I don't know. But he was. Plain and simple. Thanks **

"Look, I don't know what happened between you two," Sirius said the next night at dinner, "but this has got to stop."

"No, it doesn't," Loraina said stubbornly.

"I've tried to apologize!" Delilah scoffed. "But little miss perfect is too stubborn to accept my apology!"

"I am not stubborn!" Loraina hissed at her.

"Really now?"

"Yeah! I am not! I'm not, am I, Lily?"

"Erm...I'm staying out of this?" Lily said.

"That's all you've said all day, Lily," James said slowly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm staying out of this," Lily said in monotone.

"Lily," James said, shaking her shoulders slightly. "Speak."

"I'm staying out of th-" she began, but Sirius shoved a roll in her mouth.

"Dear God, woman, shut up!" Sirius exclaimed. "We get that you're staying out of this."

"Sorry," Lily said. "They've never fought before!"

"We know," the Marauders chorused.

"Could you not talk about us like we're not here?" Loraina asked.

"Yeah, that would be appreciated."

"You know what? No. Until they settle their petty little argument, I am not speaking to either of them directly," Lily said, crossing her arms to prove her point.

"Oh Merlin," James groaned, dropping his head into his arms. "Lily, you're only going to add more conflict."

"I don't care!" she snapped, looking at him heatedly.

"Erm..."

"You guys are all being stupid," Sirius said through a mouthful of chicken. "I mean really. Loraina stood up for Delilah. Big whoop."

"She stood up for me and screwed herself over," Delilah said indignantly.

"And Delilah is being ungrateful."

"I am _not _being ungrateful!"

"I'm out of here!" Lily screeched, grabbing her books and racing out of the Great Hall.

"Now look what you did!" Delilah challenged Loraina.

"Me? You did that!"

"I did not!"

"That is _it!" _James growled, slamming his goblet down. "You two need to work this out, and talk it out like the sixteen year olds you are, not like the six year olds you're being!"

"Well put," Remus chimed in. When both glares turned on him with ferocious expressions, he meekly said, "Sorry. I'll take a leaf out of Lily's book and stay out of it."

That earned a chuckle from Sirius, but everyone else just kind of glared at him. He shrugged it off. He had tried.

Loraina took a deep breath before turning to Delilah. "Delilah, I'm sorry but I feel like you're being ungrateful. Your father can't possibly be that bad."

"But he is! I'm only angry because I'm afraid you're going to get hurt! You're like my sister, Loraina, and I don't want to lose you!"

"My father is really bad, too. But he wouldn't attack my friends, even if he is a bastard."

"But mine would, Raina. I'm just scared for you, okay?" Delilah sighed.

"Okay. I'm sorry," Loraina said with a smile.

"Me too."

The girls hugged and Sirius pretended to gag on his food. Remus rolled his eyes when Sirius actually started gagging and pounded him on the back a few times. James grinned, giving himself credit for the two of them making up.

"We might want to apologize to Lily," Delilah said sheepishly. 

"Yeah," Loraina agreed, gulping. "You ready to face her wrath?"

"If you are," Delilah said with a small laugh.

"Let's go," Loraina laughed, linking arms with her best friend and walking out of the Great Hall without a single word to the Marauders.

"Hey!" Sirius called after them. "Thanks for saying goodbye!"

Neither of the girls showed that they heard him, but James laughed anyway. "You just got dissed."

"Lily?" Delilah said softly as they entered the Head's common room.

"I'm in here," Lily called from her room.

The girls went up the carpeted stairs and entered Lily's bedroom, which had been personalized to her taste. The comforter was a pure, white cotton. There were dark green pillows strewn on the bed, and a green fuzzy blanket over the edge of the bed. The walls were the same hunter green, and Lily had taped several pictures of her friends on the walls. There was one large picture in the middle of the wall, right across from Lily's bed, that was of Lily, Delilah, and Loraina on Christmas the year before. They were decked out in snow stuff, with pink faces and dazzling smiles. Lily was holding up a peace sign, while Delilah held up a rock on sign. Loraina made a heart with both hands, and every few seconds, they would drop the signs and hug each other, before resuming their previous positions.

"I remember that," Loraina said fondly, touching the picture with her fingertips. "That was such a fun Christmas."

"It really was," Delilah said, smiling as well.

"Have you two sorted yourselves out?" Lily asked dubiously.

"Yeah, we have," said Loraina. "We realized we were being stupid."

"Good."

"Oh, c'mere Lily," Delilah said warmly, pulling her into a group hug.

"We are _such _dorks," Lily laughed as they pulled out of the hug.

"You can say that again."

"What do you guys say to a good old sleepover?" Loraina said suddenly.

"We haven't had one in a long time."

"We haven't really had girl time at all," Delilah said.

"And we haven't had time to gush on the boys!" laughed Lily.

"So, let's do it! Like old times!"

"Like old times," Lily and Delilah chorused.

In minutes, the girls had told the portrait that guarded the Head quarters to tell James to sleep elsewhere. They had set up a magical karaoke machine, broke out Lily's stash of junk food, and set up sleeping bags in the common room.

"Okay, who's going first?" Lily said, indicating the karaoke machine.

"Delilah," Loraina said automatically, pointing to her friend, who laughed pleasantly and stood up.

"How about we all do the first one together?"

"Okay," Lily and Loraina agreed.

A fun, upbeat song began to play and the girls started jumping around with the plastic microphones.

_Don't call me_

_Leave me alone_

_Not gonna answer my phone_

_Cuz I don't_

_No I won't see you_

_I'm out to have a good time_

_To get you off of my mind_

_Cuz I don't_

_And I won't need you_

_Time to dial 911_

_Cuz we're gonna have some fun_

_Hey boy you know you better run_

_Cuz it's a girls night_

_It's alright without you_

_I'm gonna stay out_

_And play out_

_Without you_

_You better hold tight_

_Cuz girls nights without you_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go_

_It's a girls night_

_I'll dance with somebody new_

_Won't have to think about you_

_And who knows what that will lead to_

_You'll here from everyone_

_You'll get the 411_

_Hey boy you knew this day would come_

_Cuz it's a girls night_

_It's alright without you_

_I'm gonna stay out_

_And play out_

_Without you_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go_

_Hey boy_

_Don't you wish you could've been a good boy_

_Try to find another girl like me boy_

_Feel me when I tell ya I am fine and it's time for me to draw the line_

_Hey boy_

_Don't you wish you could've been a good boy_

_Try to find another girl like me boy_

_Feel me when I tell ya I am fine and it's time for me to draw the line_

_Cuz it's a girls night_

_It's alright without you_

_I'm gonna stay out_

_And play out_

_Without you_

_You better hold tight_

_Cuz girls nights without you_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go GNO_

_Let's go_

_It's a girls night. _

They all fell on the ground, laughing at each other's ridiculous dance moves and exhausted from screaming the lyrics to the song. After getting situated in their sleeping bags and temporarily putting the karaoke machine away, they got started on the gush fest.

"Okay, so who does everyone like?" Delilah asked as she flopped onto her stomach, putting her chin in her hands.

"I don't really like anyone," Loraina said automatically. When she received dubious looks from both of her friends, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. So I have a miniscule crush on Remus. But we're talking tiny."

"Fine," Delilah groaned. "I was so convinced that you liked him a lot!"

"I hardly know him," Loraina said with another eye roll.

"That's how it is with James," Lily chimed in. "I mean, I think that I like him, but I don't really know him, do I?"

"Sirius is creeping me out," Delilah stated plainly. "He keeps giving me these weird, glazed over, love sick kind of looks."

"He looooooveeeessss you!" Lily sang teasingly.

Delilah, to her friends' surprise, blushed and hid her face in her pillow. "YOU LIKE HIM!" Loraina screamed.

"Okay, so maybe a little," Delilah said quietly. "I'm gonna use you guys' bullshit excuse of 'I don't know him', okay?"

Lily and Loraina both laughed, and the girls changed the subject away from the Marauders.

**Author's Note: Okay, so I'm not entirely sure what happened to this chapter. Suddenly, it became one of those obnoxiously corny chick-bonding chapters, but I think it ended up okay, because it focused a lot on the friendship between the girls, which I don't feel was really emphasized enough. I think the next chapter will focus on the Marauder friendship, because I haven't really written much about them. **

**Review, please. I will update either way, but I would really like some feedback. **


	5. Bitchier Than Lily PMSing

**Author's Note: Salvation-ala-mode: thank you so much for all your guidance on this story. Honestly, I would not be cranking this story out as fast as I am if it wasn't for the fact that I can't wait for your feedback. You've really, really helped me out. And that facts thing wasn't just directed at you; I got a couple of messages about it. So thank you very, very much, once again. You're the best **

"Full moon tonight, aye?" Sirius asked sympathetically as Remus awoke. He was groaning and stretching painfully, his face remarkably pale and his eyes dull.

"Yeah," Remus replied, exhausted.

"Well, mate, we'll be there as usual," Sirius said, ruffling his friend's hair as he went to go take a shower. Remus smoothed his hair back down and got dressed with a yawn, putting on his best happy face for the world.

During lunch, Sirius could sense the depression that Remus was falling into, and exchanged a look with James. The boys began a ridiculous routine of singing bad muggle songs with horrible interpretive dance movements. Remus looked around all of the people staring at them and dragged Sirius back down onto the bench, kicking James under the table.

"Would you two please cut it out?" Remus asked tiredly.

"Just trying to cheer you up, mate," James shrugged.

"Yeah, well it's not working."

"That much is obvious," Sirius grumbled. "What you need is a good pick-me-up."

"What I need is some less annoying friends," Remus retorted.

"Here we go again," James said ruefully, taking a swig from his goblet.

"Must I begin my list of reasons as to why you have the most amazing friends?" Sirius said dramatically. When Remus didn't reply, Sirius continued. "It appears that I must. First, we deal with your furry little problem, which leaves you bitchier then Lily when she's PMSing. Second, we hook you up with all the foxy ladies. Third, we pull the best pranks ever and save you from books, which kill small children. Do we kill small children? I didn't think so. Fourth, I have devilishly handsome features, a charming personality, and extremely good hair, and James has...well, he's James."

He was then interrupted by a napkin, which was stuffed in his mouth my Remus, and a "Hey! I'm devilishly handsome, too!" from James.

"As inspiring as that was," Remus drawled. "I'm off to Ancient Runes. Bye, losers."

"That's just rude," Sirius spluttered as he removed the napkin from his mouth.

Remus wasn't positive why he was reacting so badly to the oncoming full moon this month. I mean, sure, he was usually a pretty mean guy around this time, but he was generally only mean to James and Sirius. This time, he had snapped at poor Loraine so badly that she had run off with tears in her eyes. That had certainly made him feel guilty...

"Moony, mate," James said as he approached. "We'll be down in about an hour. You might wanna go to Madam Gavioti now."

"All right," Remus said morosely. "D'you think, if you see her, you could tell Loraina I'm sorry?"

"Sure, mate," Sirius said as he joined them. "But...why?"

"I kind of yelled at her for asking if I was okay," Remus said sheepishly.

"I thought you wanted to _get _the girl, not scare her!" Sirius said, smacking himself on the forehead.

"I'm going," Remus said, indicating the portrait hole. "Just...don't forget to tell her, okay?"

"No problem, Moony," James said back with a half salute.

As Remus crawled through the portrait hole, James turned to Sirius with a frustrated look.

"Why the hell did he have to _yell _at her?"

"I dunno," Sirius shrugged. "But let's go fix it." He nodded to where Loraina was sitting in an armchair, reading a book.

"Loraina, my beautiful love muffin," James said as he ruffled her hair. She huffed, smoothed her hair back down, and looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"We come with a message to deliver to your Highness," Sirius said dramatically, dropping down on one knee, grasping her hand. She shook him off and rolled her eyes.

"What, Sirius? And James, don't call me love muffin. That's disturbing."

"Really? I rather thought it had a nice ring to it..."

"Moving on," Sirius intervened. "Remus wanted to send you his apologies for snapping at you."

"And he didn't tell me this, why?" Loraina asked, her eyebrows once again raised.

"Because he's visiting home," James said before Sirius could come up with some crazy excuse.

"Yes," Sirius continued, "she's been having a _furry little problem." _

James whacked Sirius over the head while Loraina had a disgusted look on her face.

"I don't want to know what that is," Loraina said, standing up. "Tell him that I want to talk to him when he gets back, okay?"

"All right," James said, covering Sirius's mouth with his hand. "Well, we've got to go discuss...stuff."

With that lame excuse, Sirius and James fled the common room, with a slightly disturbed and puzzled Loraina sitting back down, shaking her head.

Running through the Forbidden Forest, James, had he been in human form, would have been grinning that excited smile of his. Sirius was dashing after him, his shaggy dog form bounding along like a puppet. They were herding their dear little werewolf friend deeper into the forest, in the event that some random nighttime wanderer was at the edges of the forest.

In the castle, Loraina, Lily, and Delilah were having a discussion in the Heads common room, as James had mysteriously disappeared.

"Where could he-I mean, they-be?" Lily asked, pacing in front of the clock. It read 2:34, and Lily was beyond worried, particularly about James. "What if he's-I mean they're-hurt?"

"Lily, I'm sure they're fine," Delilah soothed, sitting her down. "Now stop pacing, or you're going to wear a hole in the ground."

"Yeah, Lily, just calm down," Loraina supplied, continuing to read her book. It was an incredibly interesting memoir written by a werewolf, and she was so deeply interested in the book that she couldn't worry much about the boys. "He and Sirius are probably pulling some prank. Remus is at home, visiting his mother and helping her with some problem."

"What? I just saw Remus at around six o'clock," Lily said in confusion, furrowing her brow.

"So did I," Delilah nodded. "I was taking a walk by the lake, and he was with Madam Gavioti."

"What?" Loraina asked breathlessly, closing her book. She looked outside, trying to clear her head, and looked at the reflection of the full moon upon the lake.

"Whatever is going on with them," Lily said, biting her lip, "I don't think I like it."

"Me either," Delilah agreed. "Let's wait up for James to come in, and we'll interrogate him. Three against one."

"Sounds like a plan," Loraina said with a yawn, curling into the chair and cuddling into the red blanket that was wrapped around her.

James entered the Heads common room at 5:07 in the morning, exhausted, drained, and with several scratches on his body. He was not counting on three, half-hysterical, wired girls waiting up for him.

"Uh oh," he whispered as he took in Lily's expression.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU ALL BLOODY NIGHT! YOU CAN'T JUST DISSAPPEAR, JAMES! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!"

"Lily, calm," Delilah reminded her, gently grabbing her friend's arm. "And where are Sirius and Remus?"

"I told Loraina yesterday," James said with a yawn, "he's visiting his mother."

"Then explain why Delilah and I both saw him with Madam Gavioti yesterday evening!" Lily exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

"I-I don't-Um, you see," James spluttered.

"Well?" Delilah urged.

"We were off on Marauder business, okay?" James practically growled.

"Doing what?" Lily pressed.

"Would you just stay out of it?!" James shouted, before storming up to his bedroom. Lily collapsed onto the couch, putting her face in a pillow and screaming in frustration.

"So..." Delilah said, attempting to clear the awkward silence. "Who's up for a couple hours of sleep before breakfast?"

**Author's Note: I've decided to dedicate this entire story to Salvation-ala-mode, for all of her help. Also, I hope you all liked this chapter. I tried to emphasize the Marauder friendship and give them more of personalities than I had before. **


	6. Tied, Inexplicably, To A Statue

**Author's Note: I might be moving a little bit too fast again, so just let me know if you think I am, and I'll slow it down. I have a problem with that. **

**Also, I decided to stop naming the chapters after song and using quotes from the chapters instead. **

Lily absolutely refused to speak to James the rest of the day. Loraina kept silently looking at Remus's empty seat with concern in her eyes, and Delilah just huffed every time Sirius looked at her. James and Sirius were getting extremely annoyed; they felt like they hadn't done anything to deserve the cold shoulder treatment they were receiving.

When Loraina approached them at lunch, they were surprised to see that she was still speaking to them. "Look, I'm supposed to be mad at you, but I just need to know. Is Remus okay?"

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Is he okay? You guys are both here, and he's not. Is he all right?" Loraina asked slowly and deliberately.

"Yeah, he's fine. Just caught a bad cold," James lied through his teeth. When the blonde looked relieved, he knew it was worth the lie.

"Maybe I'll go visit him. I really want to talk to him about the other day," Loraina said distantly before wandering away, her face the picture of serenity.

"She can't visit him!" James exclaimed as she walked off.

"Why not?" Sirius asked dumbly, half chewed food spilling from his mouth as he spoke.

"Because he's currently got a broken arm and is covered in scratches," James said, hitting his friend over the head.

"Good point," Sirius said. "Now what?"

"We deter her."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. But we've got to."

And that is how Loraina found herself tied, inexplicably, to a statue. Outside. In the cold. In a rather short skirt. She was not happy, to say the least.

She had been walking to the hospital wing, then she was unconcious. And then, she woke up, tied to some freezing cold stone. The ropes were rather painful, actually, and she was hoping to God that her friends would, for some reason or other, venture outdoors and find her.

"Moony!" James exclaimed as he and Sirius ran into the hospital wing.

"What's wrong, Prongs?" Remus groaned, sitting up slightly with a wince.

"Loraina was coming here, so we stupefied her, and then we tied her to the statue outside. Someone's gonna find her eventually. You're smart. Help us throw her off!" Sirius rambled. Remus looked at him in horror.

"You _tied her to a statue? Outside?!" _

"Yeah. Brilliant, eh?" James said, nudging his friend lightly.

"No!" Remus disagreed. "It's freezing, for one. And she's going to kill you when she finds you."

"She doesn't know it was us," Sirius said with a "duh" tone to his voice.

"Why is she even trying to visit me as it is?" Remus asked suspiciously.

"James told her you had a cold," Sirius shrugged. "So she was gonna come visit. That's why she's tied up. The girls are already mad at us for no reason..."

"Yeah, because they saw you yesterday when you were supposed to be at your Mum's house," James continued. "So they stayed up all night waiting for me and then cornered me in the Heads common room. It was terrifying."

"So basically, they're acting like total and complete beasts right now," Sirius finished off.

"You two are such idiots," Remus grumbled.

"Loraina?" a startled voice asked as a distant figure approached. She gasped when she saw it was her ex boyfriend, Troy Hamilton. He was in Ravenclaw, in her year.

"Troy! Thank God! Could you help me out of this?" she asked, looking pointedly to the ropes around her.

"Who on earth did this to you?" Troy said as he waved his wand at the ropes that bound her. She collapsed into his arms awkwardly and straightened herself up, rubbing her sore limbs. She sniffled, shivering once.

"I have no idea. I was heading up to the Hospital Wing to visit a friend, and then next thing I know, I'm waking up tied to this thing!"

"You look like you're getting sick yourself. Let's get you to the Hospital Wing."

Loraina nodded and allowed Troy to lead her up to the Hospital Wing, where the nurse immediately began treating the welts on her arms and legs from the ropes. Troy smiled at her kindly, kissing her on the forehead.

"Lupin! Are you okay?" he asked in surprise as he saw the blonde haired boy looking like a train wreck. Not only that, but his face looked furious. James and Sirius stood beside him, awkwardly looking anywhere but their best friend.

"Just fine," Remus said through gritted teeth. Troy waved and left the Wing, looking back to find Loraina already asleep on the bed across from Remus.

"You stupid gits put her in the hospital wing!" Remus exclaimed angrily. "And her stupid ex boyfriend brought her here!"

"Well, that was unexpected," Sirius said.

"And extremely unfortunate. We should go now," James said awkwardly.

"Don't even think about it," Remus hissed. They both sat down obediantly.

"You do realize that we're screwed now, right?" James said to Sirius.

"Really?" Sirius drawled sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."

"Look, you guys, she's going to wake up soon enough and notice that I'm covered in gashes and that my arm is broken."

"Yeah. That's gonna be a problem."

The Marauders put their heads together, discussing possible excuses to use, and didn't notice when the now recovered blonde approached them, standing with her hands on her hips.

"A cold, huh?" she said coldly.

"Loraina! I can explain," James started, but was cut off.

"I don't know what is with you guys, but I suddenly don't know you at all anymore! Maybe this whole friendship thing was a bad idea," Loraina said in a sad voice. As she went to walk off, Sirius grabbed her arm.

"Wait! Just hear us out," Sirius pleaded.

"No, Sirius. I'm positive that whatever excuse you come up with is just going to be a lie like your last one. And by the way, thanks for tying me up, you prat!"

With that said, Loraina stormed from the Hospital Wing, leaving extremely disheartened Marauders in her wake.

A week went by of pure silence from all of the girls. When Lily and Delilah found out that Loraina had been tied up by James and Sirius, they had flown off the handle. James had received a well placed slap from Lily, and Sirius was on the receiving end of visual daggers that periodically came from Delilah's eyes.

Remus was simply miserable. On one hand, his arm was finally better, thanks to magical healing, but he was being alienated by the girl he really liked because of some stupid stunt pulled by his friends. This wasn't the first time it had happened, he supposed, and it most definitely would not be the last.

For a moment, he had considered telling the girls his secret, but he just couldn't do it. Not yet. He hardly knew them; he felt close with them, but he wasn't ready for that yet. If they turned out to be vindictive about it, they could tell everyone and completely ruin his life. Simply put, he was not willing to risk that.

"I have a plan," James said at lunch.

"That's never good," Remus said with a nostalgic smile.

"I'm just going to grovel to Delilah for an entire day; she's going to be the easiest."

"No, she isn't," Sirius said with a terrified gulp. "Do you see those eyes? DAGGERS!" As he shouted the last word, he practically stabbed his messy haired friend with a fork.

"Calm down," Remus laughed, tugging his friend back down. "I've got a better idea. We write a letter!"

"How is that gonna help?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the side like a dog.

"Girls love letters," Remus shrugged. "And, we won't risk physical harm."

"I like this plan," James said automatically. At his friend's amused looks, he held his hands up defensively. "Lily has a mean right hook!"

The next morning at breakfast, the girls were surprised when a large owl landed in the middle of their little triangle. Exchanging looks, Delilah reached out and tentatively grabbed the envelope.


	7. The Last First Trip

Lily, Loraina, and Delilah-

We're really, really sorry for lying to you, but we honestly do have our reasons. You just need to find it in yourselves to trust us. We promise you it'll be worth it, and eventually we will tell you why we had to lie, but not for a little while. Could you please forgive us? We miss you.

Love,

The Marauders.

AKA James, Remus, and Sirius.

P.S. Loraina-We (James and Sirius) are terribly sorry for tying you up outside. Once again, we promise we have our reasons.

"Do we forgive them?" Lily asked her friends with raised eyebrows.

"I suppose," Loraina said quietly.

"Yeah. I mean, it's been a week, and it wasn't that bad," Delilah said. "So, they have their secrets. But so do we."

"Exactly," Lily said with a smile. "Let's write them a letter back."

To our idiotic Marauders-

We miss you guys, too, and accept your apology. You have your secrets, and we have ours. Deal? Good. Glad we're friends again!

Love,

Delilah, Loraina, and Lily.

P.S. James and Sirius-You guys are still idiots for tying me up, but I forgive you, only because Troy saved me.

And just like that, in two days time, they were back to normal once again. Lily and James were back to their now playful bickering, Delilah and Sirius were back to flirting like no other, and Loraina and Remus were back to shyly conversing about books and the like.

"First Hogsmeade trip this weekend!" Lily announced happily as she sat down to breakfast on a Thursday morning.

"Really? That's great!" Delilah enthused.

"I'm so excited!" Loraina agreed. "This is our last first Hogsmeade Weekend!"

"Well that was an oximoron if I've ever heard one," Remus laughed as he sat beside his blonde friend. "I'm assuming Lily told you?"

"Yep," Delilah chirped. "I need to go write...someone. I'll be back!" With that, she raced from the Hall, rummaging in her bag for a quill.

"She can't possibly still be writing him, can she?" Lily asked, turning to Loraina with concern on her features. Sirius, who had just joined them with James, asked her to elaborate.

"It's nothing," Loraina said in a monotone voice.

"I'm just not okay with her writing him!" Lily continued. Loraina gave her a silencing look, but Lily ignored it. "After all he's done and all that he is..."

"I agree. But that's not going to stop her, Lily. You know how she is," Loraina said, trying to placate her friend.

Lily fell deeply into thought once again, and Loraina seemed to do the same while the Marauders just looked between them in utter bewilderment.

The Hogsmeade Weekend dawned bright and early for the girls, who all met up in Lily's dorm to discuss outfits, possible hookups, and plans.

"I'm meeting up with him," Delilah said to answer the question her friends were obviously dying to ask. "Just for a little bit."

"You know how I feel about this relationship," Lily said haughtily.

"Yes, I do," Delilah whispered, closing her eyes. "But you know how much he means to me."

"Why, I will never understand," Lily grunted as she continued to look through her closet. She settled on a simple outfit of some dark, straight leg jeans and a form fitting, burnt orange V-neck sweater.

Loraina pulled a baby blue lace tank top on, then a white cardigan, and a pair of light jeans. She topped off her outfit with some sparkling blue flats. "Delilah, we're just worried about you."

"Why am I the one who's always worried about?" Delilah scoffed as she looked at her outfit of dark skinny jeans, a black, off-the-shoulder sweater, and her long hair in big, barrel curls.

"Because you're just...you," Lily said by way of explanation.

Loraina placed a headband in Delilah's hair. "You look really pretty."

"So do both of you," Delilah smiled. "Now let's go have a good last first trip!"

The girls laughed and linked arms as they walked into the village. Come what many, they would stick together, forever.

Delilah began her trek to the seedy pub on the hill at just past twelve. She passed by Sirius and his date, a girl named Melissa who seemed positively smitten with the raven haired Casanova. He winked at Delilah as she walked by, and Delilah stuck her tongue out at him as she continued up the high road.

She noticed Loraina, laughing with Troy and a few of his friends, and then James, Remus, and Lily. The boys were dragging her rule-abiding friend into Zonko's Joke Shop, and she was jokingly screeching.

Smiling at the sight of her friends, she kept going and opened the creaky, slightly rotting wooden door. She walked in apprehensively, hating that he insisted they meet in places like this. When she spotted his dark brown hair, she approached him slowly.

"Hello, Delilah," he said, flashing a downright sexy smile. She smiled back, slightly shaky.

"Hello, Orion."

"Where's Delilah and Loraina?" Remus asked curiously as James placed a talking birthday cake hat on Lily's head. She laughed and took it off, going on her tip toes to place it on the tall boy's head.

"Loraina was meeting up with Troy for a little while and Delilah is meeting up with an old...friend," Lily said, the word friend coming out very forced.

"Why is Loraina meeting up with Troy?" James asked for Remus, who obviously wanted to interrogate Lily on the possible relationship.

"Oh, something about missing their friendship," Lily said off handedly. "Can we go to Honeyduke's now?"

The boys nodded and followed the small redhead, who continued speaking. "To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Troy, which is why I'm not with them right now. He's bitter that James is Head Boy and he isn't."

"I'm just that good," James bragged mockingly. Lily whacked him soundly on the chest.

"Shut up, Ego Boy," she laughed. "Anyway, Remus, you don't need to worry about Troy and Loraina getting back together. It'll never happen."

"Who said I was worrying?" Remus said would-be casually.

"It's so obvious," Lily said with a small eye roll. "Where's Sirius?"

"He's out on a date with some girl named Melissa," James answered.

"Ah," Lily replied. "On to the next one as usual."

"I think he's actually trying to tone it down a bit, actually."

"I doubt that'll work," Lily scoffed. She looked up in shock as Delilah ran toward them. One of her cheeks was very red, and Lily bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying something.

"Lily! James! Remus!" she said in relief. "I've been looking for you guys everywhere!

"Woah there, Delilah," James chuckled. "What's the rush?"

"Nothing in particular. I was bored on my own, and Loraina was being weird."

"You know how she gets with Troy," Lily said with a roll of her eyes.

"Ugh. Only too well," Delilah nodded.

Sirius was having a surprisingly good time with Melissa. Something about it just wasn't right, though. He wasn't sure why. When he saw Delilah wandering the High Street by herself, he was temporarily worried before he saw the excited expression on her face. She was probably meeting up with a date or something, he figured. He winked at her, and she stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Sirius," Melissa was saying, waving her hands in front of his face. Sirius shook himself, looking at her with wide gray eyes.

"Wha?"

"Look, you're a really great guy," she said sweetly. "But you sure as hell don't have a crush on me."

"What are you on about?"

"I can tell there's someone who's already got your heart, Sirius. And I can see that you've really, really got to tell her. So whatever you've got to say, and whoever you've got to say it to, you better say it," Melissa said with a serious look on her cute face as she got up and walked off slowly.

Sirius leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head. What the hell _was _that?

From where Loraina stood with Troy and his friends, she saw Sirius, slumped over on a bench. She watched as his date walked away from him, and excused herself from Troy and his posse hurriedly, walking to Sirius with rushed steps.

"Sirius?" she asked gently, kneeling in front of him.

"Hey Raina," he replied, his gray eyes looking saddened and confused.

"What's wrong? I saw Melissa just now, and she looked pretty...solemn."

"She just left me with the weirdest little monologue," Sirius said with a laugh. "Girls. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."

"I take offense to that," Loraina laughed. "Really though, what'd she say?"

"She said that I sure as hell don't have a crush on her, and that someone already has my heart, and that I need to tell whoever that is."

"Sirius," Loraina giggled. "That isn't complicated at all!"

"Maybe not to you! But to me it is!" Sirius grumbled, rubbing his hands together. "How do I know who has my heart?"

"Your heart would know that, wouldn't it?" Loraina said with a twinkle in her light green eyes. Sirius looked up at her sarcastically.

"C'mon now, Raina, don't get all poetic on my sorry ass," Sirius joked.

"Coming from the boy who writes songs."

"That's different though."

"Sure it is," Loraina said with a small roll of her eyes. "Okay, so lemme quiz you, okay? Who's the girl you feel most comfortable with?"

"Hm...probably you or Lily."

"Okay, then it's not one of us," Loraina stated. When he looked confused she scoffed. "C'mon, Sirius, think. You wouldn't feel utterly at ease with someone you like. You'd get butterflies, or something like that. That's not being at ease with someone."

"Okay, fine, agreed."

"Now, is there anyone who makes your heart stop? Who makes your stomach go crazy?" Loraina asked gently.

"There is one person," Sirius mumbled.

"It's Delilah, isn't it?" Loraina said sweetly.

"What? How'd you-"

"It's all in your eyes, my friend. I'll see you later, Sirius."

With that, yet another girl left Sirius on that bench, confused and pondering.

Orion Black leaned back in that seedy pub on the top of the hill. He knew several of his cousins were somewhere in the town; Sirius, Bellatrix, Regalus, Narcissa. He decided not to find them, however. Delilah's story interested him. The fact that she had become friends with his blood traitor cousin Sirius was most definitely interesting to him.

Orion didn't love her. He didn't love Delilah Monroe at all. But he had a power over her that he thoroughly enjoyed. If he just kept up his act of love for a little while longer, he knew he could get what he needed out of her and then never have to hear her try to convince him that the Dark Lord was the wrong way to go.


	8. Tag! You're It!

**Author's Note: I realized that Pettigrew's not in this story, and I did do it on purpose. I know he was their friend, but if I put him in here, all he's gonna do is sit there like a lump anyway. So I'm pretending like he didn't exist. I promise you. I'm not entirely sure how Orion ended up in this story at all, and I decided immediately after writing him that I didn't want him in the story. So, I am writing him out already. I know that that is a little bit rushed, but I don't want him to be in this at all anymore. Not only is he going to be a huge problem to Delilah, but also to Delilah and Sirius's developing relationship. So, here it goes: Chapter Seven. Or is it Eight? **

Delilah sat at her desk, twirling a black quill in her hands slowly. It's tip was covered in cobalt blue ink and it was poised above a blank piece of parchment. Slowly and painstakingly, Delilah wrote two words. _Dear Orion. _She wasn't entirely sure what to say. No, that wasn't true. She wasn't positive how she wanted to say it. She wanted to tell him that she was done, that he was an abusing bastard, that she could do better than him, and that she didn't love him. She wanted to tell him that she didn't need him, and that she was falling dizzily for his cousin. But that was the least thing she could do. She finally settled upon a different version of what she _wanted _to say, and only said what she _needed _to say.

_Dear Orion,_

_As much as it upsets me to say this, we must end our relationship. The hiding and the sneaking around is too much. Our relationship is nothing but a security blanket built off of lies, insecurity, and abuse. Our four year age different could have something to do with this. You are twenty, and I am sixteen. We were doomed from the start. I am terribly sorry to end it like this, but I realized yesterday afternoon after our meeting that this must end. Goodbye, Orion. _

_Sincerely,_

_Delilah Monroe_

She attached the letter to Remus's owl, which he was letting her borrow, and closed her eyes as she left the window open. Placing her hands on the windowsill, she smiled slightly as the crisp autumn wind sent her golden locks flying around her pale face, rejoicing in the cool breeze. She was finally free of him.

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Loraina loved the fall. The colors, the fallen leaves, the weather; it was her absolute favorite season. On Sunday, October the First, Loraina decided to take a walk outside. She put on her favorite dark blue sweater and a white scarf, with its matching hat and gloves. Tucking her jeans into a pair of black Ugg boots, she wandered onto the grounds with a serene smile on her face.

The wind blew the leave up around her feet as she strolled and she twirled around with a small giggle, her arms outstretched. She didn't notice the blonde boy, up in a willow tree, watching her with a bemused smile. Loraina giggled again as the leaves blew up and brushed up against her legs. The smallest of smiles lit up her face as she looked up to the sky.

"Hi, Mum," she spoke to the sky. Remus, from his perch in the tree, almost drew back in shock. "I miss you. I miss you so much. Since you left, Dad's been even worse then usual. I think for the first time he feels remorse. I know you would want me to love him, because he's my father, but I just can't. I tried, but I just can't love him. I loved you, I do love you, so, so much. I wish you were here. Delilah got back with that terrible Orion Black. She misses you too, I can tell. You were the mother she wishes she had. Lily finally stopped loathing James. I'm sure you're happy about that. You always said she would fall for him in the end. We all loved you. You were our only other best friend, for the past six years. We've been hanging out with the Marauders, and we're all really close now. I'm glad, though. I miss you, Mum. I hope you're happy, wherever you are."

With that, she turned and walked slowly back to the castle, no rush to her steps, and no tears shed. She just walked, that same little smile turning the corners of her mouth upward.

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Sirius walked to the Room of Requirement, eager to get his hands back on his instruments. He hadn't gotten much of a chance to write anything new, even though he had so much to write about. When he paced three times and entered the familiar room full of instruments, papers, and muggle pencils (he preferred them to quills), he sighed in contentment.

Sitting down with his favorite black guitar, the one that had the lion on it in silver, he strummed away, beginning to sing with no real direction to the words.

_Hello _

_I've waited here for you _

_Everlong _

_Tonight _

_I throw myself into _

_And out of the red, out of her head she sang _

_Come down _

_And waste away with me _

_Down with me _

_Slow how _

_You wanted it to be _

_I'm over my head, out of her head she sang _

_And I wonder _

_When I sing along with you _

_If everything could ever feel this real forever _

_If anything could ever be this good again _

_The only thing I'll ever ask of you _

_You've got to promise not to stop when I say when. _

He didn't realize the blonde girl standing in the doorway, a gorgeous smile lighting up her face. He continued to sing and play, not realizing the girl in mind was right behind him. When he stopped, she knocked lightly on the doorframe with her knuckles. He jumped in surprise, and his cheeks turned faintly pink.

"Is Sirius Black blushing?" she gasped mockingly.

"No," he splutted. "I'm just wondering why you're stalking me."

She ignored his last comment. "That was beautiful."

"I don't really know what I sang, to be honest. It just kind of...came out."

"Well, it was great," she reassured him, stepping into the room. "This is a great set up you've got here. We should play together sometime."

"What better time then now?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow. He closed his eyes and her guitar appeared in his hand. She grinned and grabbed it out of his hands, sitting on the big black leather cushion on the ground.

"What song?" she asked, her fingers already eagerly moving on the metal strings.

"Whatever you want," he shrugged. "Actually, since you've heard me sing and play something I wrote, I want to hear something you wrote."

"I thought you said we'd play together," Delilah pouted.

"After."

"Fine," she humphed. "Okay. This one is called Monster."

_His little whispers._

_Love Me. Love Me._

_That's all I ask for._

_Love Me. Love Me._

_He battered his tiny fists to feel something._

_Wondered what it's like to touch and feel something. _

_Monster._

_How should I feel?_

_Creatures lie here._

_Looking through the window..._

_That night he caged her._

_Bruised and broke her._

_He struggled closer._

_Then he stole her._

_Violet wrists and then her ankles._

_Silent Pain._

_Then he slowly saw their nightmares were his dreams._

_Monster._

_How should I feel? _

_Creatures lie here._

_Looking through the windows._

_I will. _

_Hear their voices._

_I'm a glass child._

_I am Hannah's regrets._

_Monster._

_How should I feel?_

_Turn the sheets down._

_Murder ears with pillow lace._

_There's bath tubs._

_Full of glow flies._

_Bathe in kerosene._

_Their words tattoed in his veins._

She finished slightly out of breath. That song was definitely a sensitive subject today, written about the one and only Orion Black. She couldn't exactly tell the curious Sirius that, though, and simply she said she based it off of a story she read.

"It was about this girl whose boyfriend abused her, physically, verbally, sexually...everything. I just kind of wrote it about that," Delilah lied, hoping he would buy it. He did, and he nodded.

"It's an amazing song, Delilah," he said softly. She smiled at him lopsidedly.

"What should we play together?"

"Have you heard the song _Broken _before?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. That's perfect. It's a duet, right?" Delilah replied. When he nodded, she smiled. "Let's do it, then."

They each began strumming at their guitars, exchanging a small smile.

**Author's Note: Italics will be Delilah, Bold will be Sirius. Both is both of them.**

**I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh**

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away**

**I keep your photograph; I know it serves me well**

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain**

'_**Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome**_

_**And I don't feel right when you're gone away**_

**You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore**

_The worst is over now and we can breathe again_

_I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away_

_There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight_

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

'_**Cause I'm broken when I'm open **_

_**And I don't feel like I am strong enough**_

'_**Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome**_

_**And I don't feel right when you're gone away**_

'_**Cause I'm broken when I'm open**_

_**And I don't feel like I am strong enough**_

'_**Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome**_

_**And I don't feel right when you're gone away**_

"Damn," Sirius said laughingly when they finished. "We're amazing."

"That we are," Delilah giggled. "Should we head back now?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sirius said, helping her up off the ground. "We should do this more often."

"Yeah, we should," Delilah smiled gently, taking his hand for a moment and giving it a small squeeze. She giggled suddenly, and poked him rather forcefully. "Tag! You're it!"

Sirius stood for a moment in shock before he shook his head and shot after her. "Get back here!"

**Author's Note: Okay, so I know there was no Lily and James in this chapter. I didn't realize that until the end of it. Also, I apologize for the pure fluff with Sirius and Delilah, but I need everyone to develop a deeper friendship then I originally had. So, please bear with me through the next couple of chapters that will be probably be full of getting-to-love-you fluff. Also, I'm excited to develop on the mystery of Loraina's mom. **


	9. What A Funny Name!

Lily walked almost silently up to the Gryffindor table, where James was eating by himself in silence, reading a letter from his parents in one hand. She snuck up behind him and slipped her hands over his eyes, her hands blocked slightly by his glasses.

"Guess who?" she asked.

"Lily, you suck at this," James laughed. She pouted and sat beside him, crossing her arms.

"Where are your minions?" she asked.

"Probably still asleep."

"You do realize that they're going to be late for class, right?" questioned Lily.

"I could say the same for you," he replied.

"I happen to know that Delilah is getting a little extra help from Slughorn and that Loraina is returning a book to the library."

"Well, aren't you on top of things," Remus chimed in as he joined the conversation.

"And people," Sirius joined in, sitting beside Lily. "Like myself."

"Ew, as if!" she squeaked jokingly, pushing her new friend lightly.

"The post is here," James interruppted, an oddly jealous expression on his face. Remus's owl flew to him with a letter addressed to Delilah.

"Hey, Lily, when you see Delilah, give this to her," Remus said, handing her the letter. "I let her borrow Zeus the other day."

"Okay," Lily replied, grabbing the envelope. Sirius looked over at it and his eyes widened slightly. It was sealed with a Black Family Crest.

"Why is Delilah writing to members of my family?" Sirius growled.

"She isn't," Lily lied smoothly. Under the table, she nonverbally banished the seal and then held the letter up to him. "You're seeing things."

"I could have sworn the seal was my family crest..."

"Nope," she said. "You've just gone around the bend, my friend."

Loraina soon joined the group as well, holding a huge stack of books. The titles were all werewolf related and Remus gulped nervously, tugging at his collar.

"Hi guys," she greeted. She put her hair up in a bun on top of her head and eagerly opened the first book, a rather lengthy looking, dusty, leather bound one called _Werewolves: Friend or Foe?._

"What's with the werewolf obsession?" Lily asked, grabbing a book off the stack, this one titled _A Furry Little Friend. _

"Oh, I just find them fascinating!" Loraina gushed, hardly looking up from her book to answer.

"Okay, first off, why is there a stack of books taller then me? And second, why are you holding a letter addressed to me?" Delilah questioned as she walked up to the table. Lily handed her the letter.

"Loraina developed an infatuation with werewolves," James filled her in.

"I should've known," Delilah grinned. "So silly of me."

She slyly opened the letter under the table and tried to control her facial expression as she read.

_My Dearest Delilah, _

_I'm afraid that I cannot let you end this, at least not on my end. You know I will get you back, Delilah, so why bother to fight it? We both know that I terrify you. Give up and join me and my side, Delilah. You will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. And once again, don't try to resist me. You'll be seeing more of me sooner then you might think._

_Yours,_

_Orion Black_

_P.S. It may be in your best interest to cut off contact from my dear cousin Sirius. That is, unless you'd like for something to happen to him. _

Delilah took in a breath, crumbling the letter and shoving it in her bag. Sirius reached over the table and poked her on the forehead.

"You okay there, Lilah?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Delilah replied softly. Her voice was still a little bit shell shocked out of commission as she processed what the bane of her existence had written to her. He wouldn't actually do anything to Sirius, would he? Yet again, judging by what he had done to her...she shuddered at the thought. She looked up to find Lily giving her a calculating stare. Delilah looked back down at the table, desperately avoiding the eyes of both of her best friends.

"We've got to get to class," Loraina said brightly, hauling her giant stack of books off the table. "And I've got to bribe McGonagall into letting me keep these in her room until I have time to bring them to the dorm."

Remus automatically leapt up to join her, while Lily and Delilah lagged behind. James and Sirius grudgingly left the food, shooting longing looks at the bacon. Sitting in Transfiguration, Remus turned on Delilah.

"Who did you send that letter to, and why did you look so scared when you read the reply?" he mumbled to her as inconspicuously as he could.

"None of your business, Remus," she hissed back through her teeth.

"But it is," Remus replied. "You're my friend, and that makes it my business."

"It's nothing, okay? It's really not."

"I don't believe you," he said back, giving her a doubtful look.

"Fine. You really want to know?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I broke up with this guy I was dating who is nothing but bad news. He's twenty years old. That in itself is creepy, not to mention illegal."

"Wow," Remus whistled. "What's his name?"

Figuring that first names would be safe enough, Delilah replied, "Orion."

"Orion Black?!" Remus half-shouted. Everyone turned to stare at them, particularly Sirius, who narrowed his eyes at them suspiciously.

"What a funny name!" Delilah exclaimed in a false voice, punching Remus on the shoulder, rather harder then neccesary Remus pointed out several times after the incident, and laughing. "You're a crack up!"

Remus smiled shiftily at the staring class and continued writing his notes. Everyone went back to task soon enough, except Sirius, who kept shooting annoyed looks in their direction. Lily and Loraina periodically huffed and would rearrange their papers, a sure sign that they were annoyed. When class got out, Delilah closed her eyes and braced herself for the absolute torturous interrogation that would, inevitably, come.

"I thought you said you ended it!" Lily hissed at her.

"You promised us that you would!" Loraina exclaimed angrily.

"What is with you and my bloody cousin?!"

"I _did _end it. He's just being a creepy little jackass about it," Delilah said back, continuing her fast pace to Charms.

"You still didn't answer me!" Sirius said.

"It's nothing, Sirius," Delilah said vaguely.

"I don't buy it."

"Trust me, it's nothing."

"It better not be," Sirius grunted.

"It isn't."

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"Pst! Lily!" James whispered, poking Lily in the back of the head. They were in Study Hall, and Lily was sitting in front of him.

"What?" she snapped back.

"What's with you and Sirius? Do you like him or something?"

She wheeled all the way around, a look of utter and complete confusion on her face.

"_What?"_

"You guys seem like you like each other," James replied.

"Um, no," Lily said, looking at him oddly. "Where'd you get that?"

"You're always so flirty and touchy feely with him," James whispered back at her.

"I'm no more touchy feely with him then I am with anyone else!" Lily whisper-yelled.

"Okay, suit yourself."

"You are so frustrating!"

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"I would like to announce a new student teacher to you all," Dumbledore announced at dinner the next night.

The doors opened, and as if on cue, a remarkably handsome man of about twenty swept into the Hall. Delilah recognized that shiny black hair and those mysterious blue eyes immediately. He turned to her and gave her a smirk that made her weak in the knees, no matter how much she hated him.

"And he loves to make a dramatic entrance," Dumbledore chuckled. "Students of Hogwarts, meet your Potions student teacher, Orion Black."

Delilah just about fainted.

**Author's Note: Yes, I brought Orion back. He's here for a few reasons, which only I shall know . Who knows, I might boot him soon enough anyway. But for now, I'm keeping him around. **


	10. Stupid, Bloody Child Molester!

**Author's Note: I'm not entirely positive how I'm cranking these chapters out so fast. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm sick as a dog and I'm stuck with nothing but a laptop to entertain me, but that's just a guess. **

"Are you sure you're ready to face potions?" Lily whispered quietly to Delilah as they neared the classroom. She nodded with an unsure expression on her face.

"How dare he?" Delilah muttered. "This is my turf! He can't just _do _that!"

"I'll do you," Sirius said jokingly from behind them.

"So not the time, Sirius!" Delilah snapped at him, turning around and giving him a mouthful of her hair. He spluttered as she yanked the door of the dungeons open and strode in. Lily laughed at the expression on her face.

"Someone's in trouble," Lily teased, walking into the dungeons and fixing her coldest glare on the new student teacher.

"What's with the super glare at my evil cousin?"

"He's your _evil cousin. _That's why I'm glaring at him. Duh."

"Oh, right." Sirius then moved to sit beside James on the other side of the room, while Lily took her seat between Delilah and Loraina.

"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this," Delilah murmured to herself over and over.

"Breathe, sweetie, breathe," Lily soothed, rubbing circles on her back.

"Today we're going to let our marvelous student teacher direct the lesson, just so I can get a feel of his style under my belt," Slughorn boomed. Lily and Delilah exchanged an annoyed look as Sirius punched James on the arm and both boys laughed at Slughorn's awkward sentence.

Sirius was having quite a good time glaring at his cousin, grinding his teeth so loudly that the Slytherin girl in front of him kept looking back at him with annoyance. James was looking cautiously between the two, and restrained him when Orion shot a smoldering, flirtatious look at Delilah.

"I don't know what's going on with my bloody cousin and Delilah, but it's going to end," Sirius ground out.

"Of course, mate," James said to placate his friend.

"Pay attention, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter," Orion snapped at them, giving a satisfied smirk to Sirius, who took a steadying breath in. "As I was saying, we will be brewing the Draught of Living Death today, which is a very advanced potion. If anyone needs help, do not hesitate to ask."

James and Sirius set about their work on the potion, all the while watching Orion out of the corner of their eyes, particularly when he approached the girls' table. Remus perked up at this as well, and kept careful eyes upon Delilah in particular. Orion swept up the table and stood behind her, breathing upon her neck. She shifted uncomfortably.

"You do realize that you're advertising our one sided relationship to the entire class, right?" Delilah seethed. "And that you're going to get fired."

"No, I won't," Orion assured. "I promise. You won't get rid of me that easy."

"I wish I could."

"Stay away from her, Black," Lily suddenly snapped, turning to him with eyes alight with rage. "I've put up with the mess you leave every time you come in and out of her life. Now stay out!"

"Tsk, tsk, Miss Evans. Talking to a teacher like that," he said loudly, so that everyone could hear. The Slytherins snickered while James gripped the desk so hard his knuckles turned white. Orion then whispered to Lily, so only she could hear, "And a mudblood to boot. I can't wait to tell my master about you. I'm sure he'll be just _delighted _to meet you."

Lily didn't even flinch. She met his eyes with her own and smirked at him. "Looking forward to meet the man who's made you his bitch," Lily whispered back, venom laced in her words. Orion's blue eyes became even colder as he surveyed the redhead.

"It appears I have my hands full with your little friend here," Orion said to Delilah, still murmuring.

"Two of her "little friends", actually," Loraina growled quietly, appearing beside Lily. "Now I would apprciate it if you would teach the bloody class."

Orion clenched his jaw and turned around, sweeping the classroom. The girls got started on their complex potion and thanked Lily's skill in the subject when they did exceptionally well on it. While they worked dilligently, quietly discussing Orion and his threats, Orion descended upon the Marauders.

"You might want to keep your woman in check, Potter," Orion said mock amicably. "She's about to have a not so pleasant meeting with my business associates."

"Stay away from them, Orion," Sirius grunted.

"Aw, my dear cousin, don't tell me you want my sloppy left overs?" Orion mocked. "Delilah will be ruined when I'm done with her."

"You're already done with her, Orion," Sirius growled. "Stay away from her, or else."

"What are you gonna do? Attack me with your little gang? I've got the Dark Arts and the dark creatures on my side, Sirius. You don't stand a chance."

"Really? Because we've got quite a bit of our force on our side," Remus interjected. "Like werewolves. And, I don't know...maybe the greatest wizard that's ever lived! Now go teach your stupid class."

"You don't honestly think that he's going to go after Lily, do you?" James said nervously, dumping in some scarab beetles.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sirius said candidly.

"That's reassuring," Remus said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Sirius replied, "just being honest."

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"What was with you and Orion?" Sirius said, pulling Delilah away from the crowd after class. "And be honest this time, Delilah."

"Look," Delilah said tiredly. "You know that song I sang to you? I wrote that about none other than Orion himself. That girl was me. It wasn't based off of some story. Your cousin is a horrible man, Sirius, and he's come here to break me. If you don't stay away from me, he's coming after you, too."

"I'll kill him," Sirius said heatedly. "He's not to go near you. Especially not out of class."

"No, Sirius, you don't understand," Delilah pleaded. "Just...please,distance yourself from me. At least where he can see. I don't want him to hurt you."

"He can't hurt me, Delilah."

"Yes, he can!" she exclaimed desperately. "Please, Sirius!"

"No," Sirius refused. "I'm not going to hide from him. Delilah, you don't have to worry about him. I'll protect you."

"Sirius, I'm in too deep," Delilah half-whispered, her voice soft yet full of desperation. "I can't go back now. No one can protect me from him. I made some stupid decisions, two years ago. There's nothing I can do."

"Yes, there is!" Sirius declared. He took her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. "If you can honestly tell me that you want him to stay away from you, that you don't have any feelings for him, I can help you. Just let me try. I swear to you, I can prove you wrong!"

"Sirius, I would give anything to get him to go away," Delilah said in all seriousness and honesty. "I'll give you a chance, okay? But if he causes you so much as a paper cut, we will pretend to be enemies outside of our inner circle, in the privacy of the Heads dorm."

"Agreed," Sirius breathed, pulling her to him in a hug. "Now c'mere. I'm scared for you."

"Me too," she mumbled. "Me too."

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"Lily!" James panted the next day after running after her. She was heading to Care of Magical Creatures, and James sprinted to catch up to her. "Look, I wanted to talk to you again about Orion."

"If people don't stop talking about that stupid, bloody, child molestor, I am going to FREAK OUT!" Lily screamed. A first year who had been innocently walking by screeched at the top of her lungs and ran, screaming, in the opposite direction. James looked at the redhead with raised eyebrows and she smiled shiftily at him.

"You okay there, Lil?" he teased.

"I'm sorry. Sirius just won't shut up about him, and Delilah won't stop talking about how scared she is that Orion is going to go after Sirius. Then, all the other girls think that Orion is the biggest hunksicle since sliced bread, so we've got to pretend like we agree. It's starting to get incredibly stressful. And it's only been a day!" Lily ranted.

"Gotcha," James nodded, hoisting his bag on his shoulder. "Most of the guys hate him because he's making all of their girlfriends go all googly eyed and the like."

"I'd think so," Lily agreed. "What did you want to say about him?"

"It's nothing," James shrugged. "I just wanted to warn you to stay away from him."

"Like I needed that memo," Lily snorted. James blushed slightly.

"I know, I know, I'm being overprotective."

"No, that's okay," Lily rushed to say. "It's good, really. I need people to look out for me. Sometimes my temper gets the best of me, and I get on the bad side of the wrong people."

"I've noticed."

"Shut up, Pothead. Now let's go harvest some Weaselbee eggs."

"Hey! I resent that nickname!" James said, rushing to keep up with the fast moving girl.

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"I have an idea!" Loraina mumbled to Delilah during Care of Magical Creatures. They were kneeling in the rather large nest of a rather huge and rather bitter Weaselbee, which was a five foot long, two foot tall weasel with yellow and black stripes.

"What is it?"

"Orion will be at least slightly put off if you get a new boyfriend. Even a fake one will do."

"Who would do it though?"

"I'll do you!" Sirius eagerly put in, sticking his head in between the two girls. Instead of the smack he had been expecting, Delilah turned to him with a mysteriously plotting look on her face.

"Say, Sirius..."

**Author's Note: I think I'm going a little bit overboard with Orion's evilness, but it just sort of happens, and I choose to go with the flow rather then fight it. I can tell I'm going to have fun with him, even if he is a monster. I'm still eager to get the couples together, and I've got a pretty good idea for Delilah and Sirius. Remus and Loraina and Lily and James are gonna have to wait, but hopefully not too long. Most likely, Lily and James will get together first. If everyone could tell me when they feel they'll be ready to have the couples actually be couples, that would be great. I don't want to jump the gun or anything.**


	11. It Was Only A Kiss

Sirius Black wasn't positive how it happened, but somehow, he was Delilah's fake boyfriend, and he couldn't exactly say he minded. He got to hold her hand in the hallways, sit next to her in classes and meals, and occasionally received kisses on the cheek. His main problem with this fake relationship was the fact that he wanted it to be real, but he pushed the feeling aside and let himself enjoy what he could get.

Orion did seem slightly discouraged by the budding relationship. For one, it meant that it would be that much harder to win her back over. He knew from experience that Delilah was extremely loyal in relationships. Orion couldn't attack him either; it seemed as though the pesky Headmaster was always watching him. If he wasn't, then another senior authority figure was.

"Hey there, Delilah," Sirius greeted, hugging her from behind. "Orion is right behind us," he whispered into her ear.

Sirius had not been expecting the petite blonde to turn and press him up against the stone wall, heatedly pressing her lips to his. She ran her hands through his soft black hair and continued to kiss him passionately. Sirius put his arms around her waist and returned the favor tenfold, breaking apart only when the need for oxygen was becoming problematic.

"Sorry," Delilah panted. "Didn't mean to attack you like that. I just thought it would add a nice touch to our relationship. I mean, you're playboy Sirius Black. There's no way any relationship of yours would lack some serious PDA."

"Agreed," Sirius said with a lopsided, pleased grin. He definitely liked this new side to their false relationship.

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When Lily entered the Heads common room that night, she found James lounging lazily on the large couch in front of the fire. She bounded over to him and nudged him upright, while he mumbled in protest.

"You know, we've never hung out in here before," she said suddenly. "We live together, but we don't socialize where we live."

"We really should," James said, realizing she was right.

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "So, what should we do?"

"Play a game?" suggested James.

"Oh! Let's play...this or that!"

"Okay, okay. I go first though. Um...Orion or Snape?"

"Snape," Lily said immediately. "Narcissa or Bellatrix?"

"Narcissa. Sirius or Remus?"

"Oh God...Sirius? No, Remus. Delilah or Loraina?"

"Delilah. We're better friends. Now here's a toughie. Me or Remus? In a not-so-friendly way," James smirked. Lily turned bright red and he leaned back against the cushions.

"You," Lily grumbled. James couldn't understand her.

"I didn't catch that. Say it again?"

"You," Lily said, slightly louder.

"I still couldn't hear you," James said, an arrogant smirk on his lips. Lily stood up, shaking her fiery locks out of her face and narrowing her green eyes at him.

"I said YOU!" she shouted. "I fancy YOU, you stupid, arrogant, egotistical GIT!"

With that, she started up the stairs to her dorm. James, in his surprised stupor, had enough sense to leap off the couch and catch her by the arm.

"Wait, Lily..."

When she turned around, her face was pink, her eyes were wide, and she looked positively terrified. James really hoped she wasn't scared of him, and took in a breath.

"Lily, look," James said, his voice trembling ever so slightly. He cleared his throat to steady it and continued. "I've fancied you since the moment I met you on the train and you told me my hair was ridiculous. I fancied you even more when you stood up for guys like Snape, became a know-it-all teacher's pet, and this year I started liking you even more when you let me see _you, _not just the you that you want the world to see."

"You really mean that?" Lily said in a small voice, a hopeful look in her emerald eyes.

"Yeah," James whispered. He wasn't sure when they ended up standing so close, but he could feel her breath on the crook of his neck (she was a good deal shorter then him). Slowly, he lowered his head and his lips met hers in a soft, sweet, innocent kiss.

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"You _kissed?!" _Loraina and Delilah shouted at Lily. She blushed and hid her face in her hands as several passerby stopped to stare at them. They were sitting under a tree by the lake on their study period.

"Yeah, we did," Lily mumbled. "And now everyone and their mother knows about it. And Delilah is the one who practically jumped Sirius in the middle of the hallway in broad daylight!"

"I was proving a point," Delilah pouted. Her friends gave her skeptical looks, and she rolled her eyes. "It was only a kiss."

"Sure it was. You both couldn't stop smiling afterward," Loraina giggled.

"Oh, shut up."

"Why don't you just admit that you want him and go out for real instead of this fake stuff?" Lily asked, popping a piece of gum in her mouth.

"I don't know," Delilah said honestly. "To be honest, I kind of still think he's got that playboy in him and I'm just a little freaked to trust him."

"He hasn't been on more than one date this whole year," Loraina said in support of her new friend and her best friends' potential boyfriend. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Do you remember all of those girls crying in the bathroom we would comfort when the Marauders broke their heart?" Delilah asked with raised eyebrows. "I refuse to be one of them."

"Sirius would never cheat on you," Lily said firmly.

"And part of me knows that," Delilah said, and then, eager to get off the subject, she asked Lily, "And why aren't you dating James?"

"We've agreed to take things slow, thank you," Lily sniffed.

"Slow in what way?" Loraina asked in confusion.

"I don't want to rush into a relationship with him," Lily said. "Can you guys keep a secret?"

"You know we can, Drama Queen," Delilah joked.

"Okay, well, tonight at dinner Dumbledore will be announcing a masquerade ball on Halloween. Everyone will be dressed formally, in gowns and such, but they'll also be wearing masks. So, James is going to be my date for that and we'll see where it goes from there."

"Lily," Delilah said slowly. "You do realize that Halloween is in almost a month."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"There's a Hogsmeade visit for us to get masks and dresses and the like," Lily said suddenly. "It's next weekend. That'll work out perfectly. We can go on a date in Hogsmeade."

"There you go," Loraina said encouragingly.

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The Great Hall was pandemonium. The boys were groaning at the upcoming ball, the girls were giggling, and the teachers were trying to eat their dinner without getting a migraine. Sirius had the perfect plan for this ball, and he smirked to himself as he worked out the details in his head.

The Hogsmeade visit was soon upon them, and Lily was a nervous wreck. Delilah and Loraina were trying their hardest to calm their friend down, who was pacing around her bedroom and throwing clothing items of all types and colors around her room, searching for the perfect outfit. Finally, Loraina sat her down and started on the frazzled girl's hair and makeup, while Delilah searched Lily's closet for an outfit. Lily finally sat silently and let her friends take care of her for once.

Delilah handed her a pair of brown skinny jeans and a fitted, long olive green sweater. While Loraina put light green eyeshadow on their friend, Delilah pulled half of her hair back and secured it with a brown clip. When their work was done, Lily stood and looked at herself in the mirror before turning and hugging both of her friends tightly.

"Thank you! I'm gonna be late if I don't go meet him now!" Lily called as she raced out of the door. Delilah and Loraina exchanged amused looks and got themselves ready for a day of extreme shopping.

**Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter is a little bit short, but I want to see the reader's reactions to Orion being back and the two kisses in the chapter, as well as relationships and the like, so please review and let me know. I have an idea for Loraina and Remus, but their relationship isn't going to come as easy as the others'. So, if you'd like, please review. I would greatly appreciate it, because I want to see what you guys want out of this story. **


	12. Now's Not Really The Time!

Lily and James walked up the High Street with smiles on their faces. Lily made sure to do as Delilah said and brush her hand casually against his a few times, and by the fourth time, he had grabbed her hand with his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"I can't believe I finally got you to go on a date with me," James said with a smile.

"Neither can I," Lily giggled. "If someone would have told me that I would be here two years ago, I probably would have hexed them seven ways from upside down."

"I will never get your mannerisms," James said after a moment of trying to decode her last statement.

"You don't have to," Lily laughed. "Almost no one does."

"Do you?"

"Actually, no."

"That's what I thought," James said, poking her in the side with his unoccupied hand. She squeaked at the ticklish spot and jumped slightly.

"I'm really, really, ticklish," she said by way of explanation.

"Hm, so...are you ticklish here?" James said poking her lower back. She squealed and moved away. "How about...here?" he poked her in the stomach, and she giggled. He continued this, each time resulting in giggling and squealing from Lily. By the time they got the Three Broomsticks, he had tickled her to a point where she had been laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

They entered the little pub laughing happily and sat in a booth by the door. They could see Remus, Sirius, Delilah, and Loraina sitting in a far corner, but decided to keep their date to just the two of them for as long as they could, as they were going shopping with their friends for stuff to wear to the ball. James suddenly halted in the middle of a story he was telling Lily about Sirius, a plastic snake, and his great aunt, his teeth clenched angrily. Lily turned behind her to see what was going on and saw Orion Black walking in with a silky looking blonde man and Bellatrix Black, a fellow 7th year who Lily absolutely loathed.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," Orion nodded mock politely. "This is my dear friend Lucius Malfoy. He graduated last year from Hogwarts. And this is Bellatrix, who I'm sure you know."

Bellatrix gave Lily a look of supreme hatred with her heavy-lidded eyes and continued walking, leading the way to a corner of the bar. James growled and Lily blinked in surprise.

"Do you know who that blonde man was? Lucius Malfoy?"

"Of course I do," James grunted. "He's been causing my father problems at the Ministry since the day he graduated."

"Oh," Lily said quietly, looking down at her butterbeer awkwardly. She suddenly felt as if this date was going to be a disaster.

"I'm sorry," James said, shaking himself and gently taking her hand across the table. "I'm letting them interrupt our date. Got any funny family stories?"

Lily smiled and launched into a story about Delilah visiting during the summer and turning her sister into a Capuchan monkey with a wand she stole from her gold digging mother.

Delilah and Loraina soon came a stole Lily, heading toward the dress shop. James stood up and gave Lily a chaste kiss on the cheek, saying his goodbyes before joining Remus and Sirius in the corner.

"How'd it go?" Sirius said eagerly, bouncing.

"It went great," James said with a relieved smile.

"I told you it would," Remus said easily, leaning back and smiling proudly. "I asked Loraina to the ball. And she said yes."

"WHEN?!" James and Sirius shouted with huge smiles on their faces.

"This morning. She somehow got separated from Delilah on her way here, and it was just the two of us, so I asked her."

"Good on you, Moony," Sirius said, clapping his werewolf friend on the back. "Me and Delilah are going together to keep up the whole fake dating thing."

"When are you gonna quit the bullshit act and just get together already?" James asked. "You're Sirius Black, player extraordinaire, and yet you're whipped by a girl who isn't even your girlfriend."

"Shut up," Sirius grumbled, his cheeks flushing.

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The girls were in the dress shop, hunting unsucessfully for the perfect dresses. The shop was color-coded, so the girls all gravitated toward their favorites. Surprisingly enough, Lily did not go to the green section, but went to the gold section, while Loraina went to the teals and blues and Delilah went to the reds.

An hour later, the girls had found the perfect dresses and masks, and they eagerly walked out with their purchases, discussing their hopes for the ball. They shrunk their bags and placed them in their pockets, giggling and whispering about what they had bought, wanting to surprise everyone and have nobody know who they were.

"I cannot believe you're going with Remus!" Lily shrieked, giggling and bouncing up and down.

"Calm down," Loraina laughed. "It's not that big of a deal..."

"You can happy dance now," Delilah said in a bored voice. Loraina started dancing and squealing with Lily while and amused Delilah looked on.

A loud boom disrupted the happy picture, and the girls all looked toward the sound. Zonko's Joke Shop was up in green flames, with a now-familiar dark mark above it. Loraina gasped, placing a shaking hand over her mouth in horror. A flood of dark-robed, masked people were swarming the High Street. Lily and her friends all drew their wands, ushering a group of third years back toward the castle.

"James, where are you?" Lily whispered to herself as she searched the crowds.

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The Marauders sprinted out of Honeyduke's, wands drawn as they fired curses into the army of Death Eaters. In seconds the three best friends were separated. It was the three of them a few select others battling almost thirty lethal Death Eaters; James had almost no doubt in his mind that he was going to die.

A flash of dark red caught his attention, and his heart stopped as he watched Lily take on three Death Eaters.

"LILY!" he shouted.

"A LITTLE BUSY, JAMES!" she shouted back as she ducked out of the way of a Killing Curse.

"WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND!?"

"NOW'S NOT REALLY THE BEST TIME!"

"THERE MIGHT NOT BE ANOTHER TIME!"

"YES!" Lily screamed back as she fired a brilliant curse at a massive robed man. James caught her by the waist, kissed her passionately but shortly, and then released her, jumping back into battle.

Lily fought with a new kind of fervor as she watched her friends when she could. Loraina was certainly holding her own, firing spell after spell, a fire to her that Lily had never seen before. Delilah, however, was not so lucky, and was resorting to the muggle way when her wand was knocked out of her hands.

Delilah was soon grabbed from behind and thrown over someone's shoulder. She kicked at him and attempted to bite him, which, when aimed at his shoulder, seemed to work briliantly, as he dropped her.

"You little bitch!"

She immediately recognized that silky voice. "Orion, you filthy bastard!"

A wand was pointed at her throat in a split second. She was up against a brick wall, and she could just see his steely eyes through his mask. Delilah's blue eyes met his with defiance.

"Face it Delilah," he gloated. "I've won. I've been winning all along. All those nights, for the past two years, I've won."

"No, you haven't," she said calmly. "You'll never win, Orion."

"Really, now?" he said, humoring her. "I'm about to kill you, Delilah. How does that feel?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant," Delilah mocked. "Knowing that I'm about to do this."

In one fluid movement, she used her forearm to knock the wand out of his hand, then grabbed it while it fell. She aimed it at him and shot a Body Bind Curse at him, grinning as he stood stock still.

"Who won now, jackass?" she gloating, kicking him in the shins and reveling in the sound his body made as it hit the street. She rushed back in to the fray, a worried Sirus dragging her into a corner alley.

"Are you all right? I saw Orion drag you off and I tried to get there," he rushed.

"I'm fine, Sirius. Let's get back out there," she panted, dragging him along with her as she fired stunners into the huge mass of black.

Her eyes widened as a flash of green hit the fifth year Hufflepuff who was fighting next to her. Sirius angrily shot a Body Bind at the Death Eater, a power in his eyes that Delilah had never seen before.

She saw James leap in front of Lily to deflect a Cruciactus that was coming right at her. She saw James hit the ground, screaming, and Lily fall to her knees beside him. She then saw a Death Eater advancing on her redhead best friend and sprinted, shoving duelers out of the way. Without thinking about the consequences, Delilah tackled the man to the ground.

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"Delilah! Delilah, wake up!" a voice was urging her. She slowly opened her eyes to see Sirius's gray ones staring at her in concern. She tried to croak out that she was okay, but couldn't speak.

"What happened?" she finally managed to say.

"You and James were both hit by Crucio," Sirius said, carefully helping her up off of the ground. "What were you thinking? Tackling that guy like that?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," she said, her voice hoarse.

"Throat hurt?" Sirius asked. She nodded, and he explained. "You were screaming for quite a while."

"Where's Lily? And James? And Loraina? And Remus?"

"Lily got James to the Hospital Wing immediately. You were under it for about two minutes, which is actually a pretty long time. James got it for about ten. Remus is part of the search and rescue group. Loraina helping put out some of the fires," Sirius said, stabilizing the slowly swaying girl. "And now we're getting you to the Hospital Wing."

"No, I want to help," Delilah said tiredly, leaning heavily against Sirius.

"I don't think so, Tiger," Sirius laughed. "We're getting you to the Wing immediately."

"But I'm fine," she protested.

"I don't care if you think you're fine," Sirius said firmly. "You need to get checked out. I do, too."

That was when Delilah took in the deep gash on his cheekbone, the tear in his black sweater which revealed a long cut, and the limp he was walking with. She gasped, looking him over.

"Are you okay? You look like hell!"

"I'm fine," Sirius assured. "I just need to get these cleaned up, and you need to rest. We'll both be good as new in a couple of days."

"Okay," Delilah resigned. "But we better not be held captive. This is my second time in there this year. I bloody hate it."

Sirius laughed, putting his arm around the girl gently. "Glad you're fine, Delilah."

"You, too, Sirius."

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Lily sat at James's bedside, holding his hand lightly while tears fell down her pale face. He looked so hopeless, lying there, and it broke her heart. She smiled slightly, thinking it was so James to ask her out in the middle of a battle. Kissing his knuckles, she sighed, putting her forehead on the mattress.

"Oh, I'm sorry," a kind voice said. "I just came to visit James. I'm his mother, Natalie Potter."

"Don't apologize," Lily said, blushing. She brushed the tears off of her cheeks and shook the woman's hand before wincing as she realized her hand was caked with blood. "I'm Lily Evans."

"_The _Lily Evans? The one that James would not stop ranting about?" Natalie asked with raised eyebrows. She had long red hair that was up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a business suit.

"I suppose so," Lily blushed. "I'm the only Lily Evans he knows, and he was a bit obsessed with me for a while there..."

"A bit? He was practically your stalker," Natalie said pleasantly as she stood beside her son. She sighed sadly, her happy demeanor gone. "He is so like his father."

"Really?" Lily asked quietly.

"His father is an Auror," Natalie nodded. "Always getting himself hurt. James is just like him. Spitting image of him, too. But he has my eyes."

Lily saw that James's hazel eyes had, indeed, been inherited from his mother, and she smiled slightly. "James does have a tendancy to do that."

"I hate to pry, but...are you his girlfriend?" Natalie asked softly, pushing her son's hair back.

"He asked me out in the middle of the battle," Lily said with a half-hysterical laugh, "and like the idiot that he is, he dove in front of that stupid curse for me!"

Natalie looked surprised for a moment. "There is one thing you've got to learn about Potter men; they are self-sacrificing to a fault. When they love someone, they'll dive in front of Unforgivable Curses for them."

"Yeah, I'm learning that the hard way," Lily sighed sadly.

**Author's Note: This chapter kind of ran away with me. I'm not entirely positive how the battle came into play, or how I ended up getting Lily and James together like that, but whatever. It happened. And Remus and Loraina...I have quite the plan for them. Their relationship is not going to be as easy as it seems. I liked introducing James's mother, who is probably going to play an important role later on. I hope you enjoyed this. I enjoyed writing it **


	13. Nice Try, Romeo

**Author's Note: I am seriously losing James and Lily in translation here. They've kind of disappeared from the first ten or so chapters. I'm trying my hardest to get them back to being main characters. I'm not going to reduce my Loraina, Delilah, Sirius, and Remus time. I definitely want to keep them there, because they are also main characters. Also, I've made a website for this story! Check out the link my profile. It's still a work in progress that I will update regularly with new quotes, possibly new pictures, and I will add characters as they come into the story. I will also make a story progress page, where I will summarize the chapters. **

Orion Black walked the halls of Hogwarts three days after the attack on Hogsmeade. The attack had been his idea, of course. The only witness who knew he was a Death Eater was Delilah, and he knew that she had no tangible evidence beside her word. As far as the rest of the school knew, she was simply a stupid girl with a random grudge against their good-looking, sly student teacher. He smiled as he remembered her tackling him at that last second, as he was about to Crucio her stupid little mudblood friend. The spell had been shot at her instead, and he had reveled in her pain, as he had many times before. It was only a matter of time before he had her again, and matter of time before she betrayed her precious friends. Seeing her reaction to that curse set the wheels turning in Orion's twisted and sadistic mind. A sick grin spread across his lips when he reached his office. He sat at his desk and began to write a letter...

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"When does James get out?" Sirius asked Lily. Classes for the week had been canceled as the teachers reinforced the wards of Hogwarts and helped to rebuild the broken town.

"He should be released in about an hour. I'm going to go meet him when he is," Lily said softly, staring into the fire. Since the attack, she had taken to spacing out and staring into the fire, deep thought etched onto her face.

"You okay?" he asked, concerned. Remus, Loraina, and Delilah were all in the library, researching something or other.

"I'm all right," Lily whispered.

"I don't buy it," Sirius replied. "You ready to tell me what's on your mind?"

"I'm just angry."

"At who?"

"James and Delilah. They took those curses for me. Those curses were meant for _me _and _I _should have been the one to receive them. I don't want the people I love to get hurt on my account."

"We're in a war, Lily. People are going to get hurt. To be honest, people are going to _die._"

"Don't say that, Sirius," Lily said heatedly. "None of us are going to die, Goddamn it. Especially not on my account."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"You should be. I'm thinking about calling off the ball. I'm the one who planned it, after all, and it just seems like having a party would be inappropriate, given the circumstances."

"No, Lily. A party is just what everyone needs. You can even dedicate it to those students who died in the battle. Canceling it would be letting them win, Lily. Do you want that?"

"No," Lily said, shaking her head. "They're not going to win. They're not going to beat me."

"That's the spirit," Sirius said, ruffling her hair. "Now go get your man from the Hospital."

"Okay," Lily laughed, getting up and walking out. She turned back to her black haired friend. "Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

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"Yoo-hoo! Fake boyfriend! I'm home!" Delilah called jokingly into Sirius's dorm three hours later.

"If it isn't my lovely girlfriend!" Sirius exclaimed, purposely leaving out the fake. She smiled at him and jumped onto his bed.

"Where did James and Lily go? Weren't they just up here with you?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

"Yeah. They went off to do...couple things," he said, shuddering mockingly at the last two words. Delilah laughed.

"That is to be expected, Sirius. He risked his life to save her. That's gonna get him some major action."

"You did it, too," Sirius said. "Why aren't you getting action from Lily?"

"Because that, my friend, is disturbing."

"Not really," he said, a suggestive smirk on his face. She smacked him.

"You perv," she chuckled. "Now, where might Remus and Loraina be?"

"I believe that Remus is in the library still, and that Loraina went on one of her walks."

"Probably," Delilah said. "I'm bored."

"Well, then, we'll have to change that."

"How?"

"TAG! You're it!"

"Hey, get back here!"

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Lily and James sat underneath a Willow Tree by the lake, cuddling. She breathed in his scent and held onto him tightly.

"Do you have any idea how much you scared me?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry. I would rather have you scared then dead," James said with no remorse. "I would never take it back."

"I know," she sighed. "But how do you think I would feel if _you _had died?"

"But I didn't."

"But you could have."

"I'm sorry, Lily," James mumbled into her hair. "It was instinct."

"Your mum told me to get used to it. That you'd be doing that a lot."

"You talked to my mum?" James said, pulling back and looking at her in surprise.

"Yeah, right after the battle. She was there with you, and we talked. She told me that you're just like your father, actually."

"I get that a lot," James said with a small smile.

"By the way, your mom seems to think that you were always ranting about me," Lily said, teasing her new boyfriend.

James blushed, and Lily giggled. "I didn't do it _that _much."

Lily kissed his nose. "It's cute."

"I did it a lot," James said, suddenly changing his tune. She laughed and patted his face.

"Nice try, Romeo."

"It was worth a shot," James shrugged, pulling her back into his arms.

Lily was looking over his shoulder and something on the tree, and a slow, easy grin spread over her pink lips. He looked as well, and found that it said "Lily Evans" in a jagged carving. She had drawn half a heart around it.

"I always planned on finishing that with someone. I did that in second year."

"Well then," James said, pulling out his wand and pushing it against the bark. He finished the heart and etched the words, "James Potter". Lily then took his wand and put a plus sign in between the two names.

"Perfect," she giggled, kissing him lightly.

"Like you," James said cheesily.

"Still not working, Romeo."

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Loraina walked along the edge of the forest with her usual, serene smile on her face. She was looking forward to the ball, which was in two weeks. She was hoping that she and Remus would finally get together. Loraina was positive at this point that she liked him, and she was almost positive he liked her, too. She was also convinced that the ball would be just the thing to finally get them together, as an official couple.

People had always said that Loraina was a dreamer.

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"All you've got to do is walk up to her and say, 'Delilah, I'm sick of fake dating you, because truth is, I want this to be real'. That can't be too hard, can it?" Sirius mumbled to himself as he paced his dorm. He and Delilah had just finished a rousing game of tag when she was called to McGonagall's office for questioning by Aurors.

He looked in the mirror at himself, and couldn't help the cocky smirk that came on his face. He was Sirius Black. Every girl wanted him. Every guy wanted to be him. So why couldn't he just muster up the courage to tell Delilah how he really felt?

He figured it had something to do with his evil, murderous cousin, who was taking over his life after three years of not seeing him. When Orion had graduated, Sirius wrote it off as one more family member he would never have to see again.

Sirius had yet to figure out the extent of the relationship between Orion and Delilah. Apparently, it had been going on since she was fourteen. All of those dates and boyfriends she had must have all been a cover up, to make sure things seemed ordinary.

And she had said that Orion abused her physically, verbally, and even sexually. Just what had his twisted cousin done to Delilah? And what was he after? Sirius was determined to find out.

**Author's Note: Wow. These chapters just keep writing themselves! I really hope you all enjoy this story, and I'm starting to get slightly more confident in my writing, which is definitely helping me. Don't forget to check out the website, at There is also a link in my profile. Knowing me, the next chapter will be up soon enough. The site is password protected, and the password is comebackdown. **


	14. Never Hit Back

With the ball approaching, the entire castle was in an uproar. Boys were asking girls last minute, girls were trying desperately to get dates and sort out wardrobe malfunctions, and the teachers were constantly trying to keep their students' attention. One girl in particular, Loraina Parker, was trying desperately to make sure her entire night would run perfect smoothly.

Her mask went to just above her eyebrows and then down to the middle of her cheekbones. It was gorgeous, shimmery silver that matched part of her dress, and she put it on in front of the mirror the day before, checking that it looked absolutely perfect. She then tried on her teal, satin, strapped heels and made sure that they fit perfectly, to avoid tripping and other embarrassing accidents.

"Is that your mask for the ball, Parker?" a snooty voice asked. Loraina turned, gasping. She had thought she was alone...

"Oh, um, yes," she said feebly. The girl in front of her flipped her dark blonde hair behind her and furrowed her brow.

"I don't like it."

"Um...thank you?"

"No, like it's really, really bad."

"Okay," Loraina said, getting fed up. "Amber, go rain on someone else's parade, yeah?"

Amber Fredrick rolled her eyes and walked out of the dorm. Loraina looked at herself self-consciously in the mirror as her dorm mate left.

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Lily and James sat comfortably in their common room, playing chess, and occasionally laughing at each other's bad moves and misfortunes.

"I love this," Lily said suddenly. "Just relaxing with you, and not having to worry about what I'm gonna say so I don't look stupid."

"You always look stupid," James said dumbly. Lily looked at him, appalled, and he laughed. "Just kidding, Snapdragon."

"That nickname is just so odd," Lily giggled, poking him on the nose. "I don't have one for you. How about...Jamie?"

"No."

"Will...Jay, work?"

"That's fine," James said, standing up and sitting on the couch. He beckoned her to join him, and when she did, he pulled her into a laying position beside him.

"What are we gonna do until you have practice?" Lily asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

"I can think of something," James replied with his trademark grin before lowering his lips to hers.

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Sirius and Remus were walking to the Quidditch pitch to get in some extra practice before official practice began when Sirius noticed it.

"Remus, mate, you're looking pale."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're not looking to good, Moony."

"The full moon isn't until next week, though," Remus said, his brow furrowed.

"Good thing, too," Sirius chuckled. "The ball is tomorrow. Could you imagine a werewolf, terrorizing the entire school?"

Remus laughed as well. "I wouldn't mind setting good old Moony on Orion."

"I don't think any of us would," Sirius agreed. "He's been staying away from Delilah a little bit more lately. Ever since the attack."

"Do you think he planned it?" Remus asked, his brow furrowed.

"I doubt it."

"I'm not sure. He does seem to hate most of the school population. And did you notice that all of the Slytherins went up to the castle early?" Remus pressed.

"Good point. I take it back. I bet he did it."

"I hope not. That only shows how much he's capable of."

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"Delilah," a voice hissed as she walked the halls. She turned to find none other then Orion himself. She had been planning on joining Remus and Sirius for some extra practice. The halls were otherwise empty, and she cursed herself for not bringing her wand.

"Hello, Professor."

"You can call me Orion here, you know."

"No thank you, _sir." _

"You look hot when you're angry," he said. "Especially in that Quidditch uniform."

"And you look like a sleaze," she fired back. "Especially when you're hitting on girls four years younger than you."

"You never complained before," Orion said.

"You had me brainwashed and you know it," Delilah hissed.

"Brainwashed?" Orion said incredulously.

"You had me convinced for two years that you loved me, and that what we were doing was fine. You're a lying, abusing bastard, Orion Black!"

"It's Orion now, is it?" he smirked.

Without thinking about it, Delilah slapped him across the face, determined to get that stupid smirk off of his face. She went to pull her hand back to her own side when he captured her wrist and threw her to the floor.

"I thought I taught you to never hit back," Orion laughed cruelly. She stood up and glared at him.

"You mean like this?" she retaliated before kneeing him in the stomach. He doubled over for a moment before straightening up and grabbing her by the upper arms and slamming her against the wall. He shook her a few times before slapping her once for emphasis and storming off.

Delilah slumped to the floor. The feelings inside of her were so familiar. As a tear slipped down her soft cheek, she closed her blue eyes as she felt her body begin to ache. This time, it hurt even more. She had just been hit by the Cruciactus curse two weeks and some odd days before. Her body just wasn't ready for that kind of abuse.

"Delilah?" a surprised voice asked. She looked up to see James Potter racing toward her, concern on his face. Delilah did the only thing she could think of; she got up and ran.

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Delilah finally showed up to the real Quidditch practice five minutes late, and James pulled her aside as soon as she arrived on the pitch. The rest of the team presumed he was telling her off for being late, but he had something else in mind.

"Delilah, are you okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Delilah asked, feigning ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Cut the bullshit," James growled. Delilah stepped back at his anger. "What did he do to you?"

"He didn't do anything," Delilah lied through her teeth. She knew that whatever she said to James would get back to Sirius and that would mean Sirius attacking Orion, and most likely losing.

"I know that you're lying to me, Delilah, so 'fess up!"

"He just threw me around a little, James," Delilah said, shaking her head as she put her hair up. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"You don't have to handle it! If you would just let us help you..."

"I don't need your help, James."

With that, Delilah walked back onto the pitch, giving James no other choice but to follow her.

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Lily and Loraina sat in Lily's bedroom and painted their nails. Lily was putting a sheer, light gold on her nails, while Loraina put on a shimmering teal.

"I'm so excited for the ball," Lily gushed. "It's going to be amazing."

"I know! I really, really hope that Remus will ask me to be his girlfriend."

"I'm sure he will," Lily reassured her nervous friend. "Remus totally likes you."

"I hope he likes me as much as people say he does. Sirius told me that he's really, really into me, but he doesn't always act like it," Loraina mused as she examined the paint on her nails, shaking her head and removing it before beginning again.

"Everyone can see it, Raina," Lily replied. "You'll be just fine. Plus, you're gonna knock him out tomorrow night. You look gorgeous in that dress and you know it."

Loraina blushed, and hoped against hope that Lily was right.

**Author's Note: I am so excited to write the next chapter. The ball might be two chapters long, but I think it's just gonna be one. Check out the website (the link is in my profile) to see pictures of the dresses. I'll put them up when I'm done with the next chapter. I know some people hate it when people do that, and I'm really going to try and do the dresses justice in my descriptions, but I'm not sure if I can .**


	15. So Much For A Perfect Night

Loraina stood in front of Lily's mirror, her nerves racing. She was wearing her ball gown, which she knew looked amazing. The straps were thin pieces of teal satin that attached to intricately beaded cups with silver, shimmering beads. The dress had a low cut front and then flowed, fitting the curves of her body, all the way to the floor. The back of her dress was almost non-existent, save for a teal silk bow. Her hair was down, in big, barrel curls, half of it pulled back, and her mask lay daintily on her lightly madeup face.

"You look amazing," Lily said from behind her in the mirror. She smiled at her friend nervously.

"So do you," Loraina said, and she meant it. Lily's dress also went all the way to the ground, hugging her every curve. It was a gorgeous, pale gold, beading all over. Lily's mask was just like Loraina's but gold instead. The front of her dress was also rather low cut, and Lily couldn't wait to see James's face when she came down. Lily's hair was done in a low side ponytail, cascading over one shoulder in glorious red waves.

"I think it's safe to say that we'll be the hottest girls at this ball," Delilah half-joked. Her dress was a ruby red, extremely low cut, to-the-floor number. It was a halter, and the straps around her neck had shimmering crystals on them. The bust of the dress was a shimmery silk, and the rest was a material of another kind, although equally soft and floaty. Her mask was a simple, red silk that contrasted beautifully with her extremely long, big gold curls.

"You can say that again," Lily said eagerly. "Let's go!"

They walked down the stairs into the Heads' common room, and Lily almost laughed at the befuddled expression on James's face. He tripped over himself as he walked toward her, and she couldn't repress the giggle that escaped her. He was dressed in a muggle tuxedo, by her request, and a plain black mask was over his eyes. Sirius had almost the exact same, only his mask was red, his bow tie was red, and so was his cumberbund.

"You look amazing," James gushed.

"So do you," Sirius breathed, when he was done choking on his own tongue. "You look beautiful."

"Where's Remus?" Loraina asked softly.

"Oh," Sirius said. "He should be here soon. When we left he was getting ready."

"All right," Loraina said with a small smile. "You guys go ahead. I'll wait here for him."

Loraina was slightly dissapointed that her big entrance had been ruined, but sat down daintily on the couch, waiting for her date. She knew he'd be there soon.

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When, an hour into the dance, Loraina and Remus didn't show, Lily and Delilah began to get concerned. James suggested a walk outside, and Lily agreed, following him, but still glancing back at the Hall nervously. Delilah and Sirius agreed to stay, in case Loraina and Remus showed.

"Would you like to dance, my fair lady?" Sirius asked dramatically, bowing. Delilah laughed and followed him onto the dance floor. A pounding, pulsating beat was blaring over the hall. When Sirius began to jump around like a mad man, Delilah took both of his hands and turned so that her back was to him. Placing his hands on her hips, she began to gyrate against him to the beat, and Sirius raised his eyebrows. He definitely liked this way of dancing.

Sirius, beginning to get more confident with this way of dancing, turned her around and the two of them began dancing in a similar fashion. Sirius looked up to see what was undoubtedly Orion, steaming mad. Sirius pulled her closer and turned her around again, breathing in her ear.

"Orion is staring at us."

"Let him," was her response.

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Loraina let another tear fall out of her eyes as she looked out the window of James and Lily's common room. She took in the reflection of the full moon on the water of the lake and sighed. It was such a beautiful, romantic night, and she had been stood up. She tugged her strappy heels off and pulled off her mask, discarding it on the floor. Loraina looked at the clock; the dance had started two hours ago. There was no way he was coming. She sunk to the ground, letting her sobs overtake her. So much for a perfect night.

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"James, I'm going to check on Loraina," Lily said. "I'm worried about her. I'm going to see if she's back in the common room."

"Okay, Lil," he replied. "I'll stay here with Sirius and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, yeah?"

Lily smiled and nodded, dashing off to check on her best friend. Just as she left, a mysterious brunette took his hand and led him to the dance floor without a word. With raised eyebrows, he followed and was pulled into the grinding dance in seconds.

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"Loraina?" Lily asked tentatively, stepping into her common room. She gasped when she saw her friend, sobbing and alone. She fell down beside her, hugging her tightly.

"What on earth happened?" Lily asked when Loraina had calmed.

"He stood me up," Loraina sniffled. "After all my hard work to look perfect for him, he stood me up!"

"He doesn't deserve you, Raina," Lily said, hugging her friend tightly once again. "I didn't see him at the dance."

"I doubt he would show after standing me up," Loraina figured. "I mean, you guys would have seen him alone and asked him about it."

"Why don't you come down, then? You, me, and Delilah can dance the night awya and forget all about stupid Remus Lupin."

"Okay," Loraina agreed reluctantly.

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Whether it was just the magic of the night or the fact that Delilah really liked him, Sirius wasn't sure, but Delilah was certainly outdoing herself, dancing all over him and consistently flirting. When she pulled him over to an unoccupied table, sat him down and crawled onto his lap, Sirius just had to say something.

"Delilah, what's going on?"

"Orion keeps watching," Delilah giggled. "I'm giving him something to watch."

Taking in a deep breath, Sirius said, "I don't want to fake date you anymore."

"What?" Delilah blinked, looking taken aback.

"I want to be actually dating you, Delilah. I really, really like you. I've even settled down for you, all of this year. Could you...could you maybe give me a chance?"

"I've been waiting to hear that for weeks," Delilah whispered giddily, kissing him soundly. Sirius pulled her closer to him, not caring that he could get weeks of detention for making out with his new girlfriend in plain sight.

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"C'mon. You're gonna dance with some new boys, and we're gonna have an amazing time!" Lily commanded, pushing Loraina into the decorated Great Hall. "I have to find James and tell him I'm back. I'll be right back!"

Lily weaved her way through the crowds, blinking in surprise when she saw James with some brunette, clad in a bright yellow dress that had huge parts cut out. They were dancing with no space between them, and Lily bit her lip, forcing her emotions to stay at bay. Maybe it wasn't James. There were hundreds of guys dressed just like James. Yet that messy black hair was unmistakable...

When he looked up and she saw his hazel eyes, she immediately knew that her suspicions had been right. She turned on her heel and stalked back toward Loraina.

"LILY! WAIT!" James shouted, pushing through dancing couples to find his girlfriend. At least, he hoped she still was.

When he continued to chase after her, she grabbed Loraina's hand and the two of them got lost in the dance floor, dancing with random people who they would probably never talk to again, as they were all wearing elaborate masks that hid their identity.

James felt his stomach tighten in a knot. He hadn't intended things with Brunette Girl to get this far. They were just dancing, but he also knew that they way they had been dancing wasn't exactly appropriate, especially for a guy with a girlfriend. He wasn't sure where Lily went, so he ran out and searched the grounds, surprised to see a full moon in the sky.

So that's where Remus went...

**Author's Note: I have no idea how Brunette Girl got in there! I've been waiting to do this Remus/Loraina thing for a long time, since I came up with it last night. AND HOORAH! SIRIUS AND DELILAH ARE FOR-REAL-DATING! **


	16. You've Already Lost Me

When Remus awoke in the Hospital Wing the next morning, he placed a hand over his face and groaned. There was the usual after-transformation ache, but that could be solved with a simple pain relieving potion. For once, Remus wanted to stay in here, and never come out.

_Flashback. _

"_Remus Lupin! You were due to see me fifteen minutes ago! Good God, boy, you're going to be in the castle during transformation!" Madam Gavioti raved at him as she stormed into his dorm room and dragged him out by the ear. He yelped. _

"_But the full moon isn't until next week!" _

"_Wrong month, boy! The full moon is on the fifth of January," the nurse growled at him. _

"_I need to go tell someone I'm leaving, to tell my date..." _

"_No time!" _

_End Flashback. _

Remus realized that he had completely and totally stood Loraina up, even after her friends had told him how excited she was to be going to the ball with him. She had spent hours and hours planning for that one moment, and Remus had totally ruined it. What was he going to tell her? She wasn't going to accept any old excuse. He just couldn't tell her yet. He wanted a few more blissful weeks of her looking at him like he was a human and not a monster. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

When he slowly made his way to his dorm two hours later, he was slammed against the wall by Sirius almost immediately.

"Where do you get off, standing her up?" his friend growled at him. Remus yelped in pain, and Sirius released him, alarmed.

"It was a fucking full moon," Remus groaned, leaning back against the wall.

"What? I thought you said it wasn't until next week!"

"I didn't think it was! I was looking at the calendar for January, not October."

"Loraina spent two hours waiting for you and crying her eyes out," Sirius said sadly.

"Don't tell me."

"You do realize that Lily and Delilah are going to kill you?"

"They should. I stood up their best friend."

"Moony, maybe you need to tell her," Sirius suggested cautiously.

"I can't. Then she'll really leave, for good. I can't lose her yet," Remus said passionately.

"You may have already."

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"Lily, you're going to have to face him sooner or later," Delilah said gently. Loraina was still asleep, or at least pretending to be. Lily had slept with Delilah last night, not wanting to return to the Heads' dorm.

"I'm voting for later," Lily mumbled into the pillow. Delilah rubbed her back gently.

"I know he hurt you, Lily, but he really cares about you."

"I don't care. He still did it."

"And you don't have to forgive him just yet. Just don't cancel out that possibility."

"When did you start being so Goddamn smart? That was always my job," Lily grumbled. Delilah laughed.

"I have no idea."

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When Sirius and Remus entered the Heads' common room, they were shocked to find James banging his head against the table repeatedly.

"James! Prongs! What the bloody hell are you doing?!" Sirius exclaimed, pulling his friend away from the table.

"I mucked up everything," James groaned. "Lily didn't even come back here last night."

"Oh," Sirius said, unsure of what to say.

"If it makes you feel better, Loraina is never going to speak to me again."

"That really doesn't help, Moony."

"Right."

"You two are pathetic," Sirius laughed, flopping into a chair. "Last night, Delilah and I made it official."

"I could tell by the way you guys were practically shagging on the dance floor. And then when you were snogging like there was no tomorrow at that table..." James said, trailing off.

"Hey, you were doing the same with Brunette Girl."

"I was going through a painful transformation from a human to a werewolf," Remus said optimistically.

"Yeah, mate, you lose," James said, shaking his shaggy hair at his friend.

"That one always takes the cake, doesn't it?" Remus said with a grin.

"Yeah," Sirius laughed.

"How do I win Lily back?"

"Use your boyish good looks and charming ways?" Sirius suggested.

"James? Good looks? Ha!" teased Remus.

"Shut it, Moony," James said, chucking a pillow lightly at his blonde best friend.

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"Loraina! Wait up!" Remus called after the blonde as she walked by him. Classes were back after the weekend of the ball, and everyone was talking about who hooked up with who, who wore what, and who didn't show.

"What, Lupin?" she said, her voice tired and bored. He drew back at the use of his surname.

"I wanted to apologize."

"For bailing on me?" Loraina said. "Because your apology isn't accepted."

"Please, something really important came up at the last minute. It was beyond my control," Remus pleaded.

"No," Loraina replied. "I don't want anything to do with your lameass excuses anymore, Lupin. I'm done."

She turned to walk away and Remus grabbed her arm. "Loraina..."

"No!"

With that, she stalked off to Potions, not looking back.

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_Snapdragon-_

_Please don't be mad at me. I'm really, really sorry. You were gone, and I don't know what happened. She pulled me onto the dance floor. I have no idea who she is, and even if I did I would never, ever choose her over you. Please, Lily, I don't want to lose you. _

_Love,_

_James_

_Potter-_

_I want nothing to do with you. Got it? Don't try and apologize; it doesn't matter if I was gone. You should have just waited for me to get back. I was comforting by best friend while you were practically shagging some girl on the dance floor. And you've already lost me, James. _

_-Lily_

_Lily-_

_Please, don't end it like this. I need you in my life. Please, please, please, let me make it up to you. I'll do anything. Just give me another chance. _

_Love,_

_James_

_Whatever. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself. _

_-Lily _

James grinned as he read the latest of the new letters and set off to work.

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Sirius was thoroughly enjoying his new relationship with Delilah. For the first time, he was actually proud to be in a relationship and have only one girlfriend. The thought still freaked him out a little bit, but he was definitely becoming more accustomed to it.

"Hello there," she greeted at lunch, giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. When Orion looked at her, a fury he had never felt before filled him and he wanted to Avada Kedavra his cousin right on the spot, Azkaban be damned. "You're looking a little stressed."

"Wha?" Sirius said, recovering from his rage-induced space out. "Oh. It's nothing."

"You sure?" Delilah questioned. "You were looking a little more then pissed off."

"I'm fine," he reassured.

"If you're sure. I've gotta go sit with Lily and Loraina. They don't want to be around you because Remus and James are sure to show..."

"Fine then. Abandon me."

"Suck it up," she laughed, nudging him lightly and walking down the table, where she then sat with her friends. Sirius watched her with a smile on his face and a new kind of look in his eyes.

He looked to the staff table and once again saw Orion staring at his girlfriend. When Orion looked back at him, Sirius gave him the fiercest look he could muster before his friends joined him and he forgot all about Orion.

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, particularly Salvation-ala-mode as usual, Just A Somebody, GodricsPhoenix, stardust718, shetlandlace, and mischief manage. Also, my updates may be slowing slightly as I will be going back to school probably tomorrow, but maybe not. Hopefully I can squeeze one more day out of it. **


	17. What Does It Take With You?

James hurried through the common room, trying to get everything just right. The entire room was full of pink carnations, Lily's favorite flower. A huge, flashing banner read, "I'm Sorry, Lily", and he even had a recording of Sirius singing some cheesy love song playing in the background. There was a basket of Honeyduke's chocolates on the table, an extremely long, groveling letter was placed in the midst of the chocolate, and he himself held a necklace he'd wanted to give to her at the ball. He opened the box just to look at it once more and smiled. It was perfect. It was a plain silver chain with a gorgeous, glimmering white lily pendant.

When she entered the common room, he snapped the box shut and tried to push down the nervousness welling up inside of him. She looked around in awe, the pink of the flowers reflecting off of her face, as did the orange light radiating from the banner. She looked at him with a completely bewildered expression before running to him and hugging him.

"I really did not expect this much," she said to him, laughing. "This is absolutely huge! I mean, I really did overreact a little bit, I guess."

"No, you didn't," James said. "And, there's one more thing. I meant to give this to you after the ball, but, given the circumstances..."

He handed her the box gently, and as she opened it she gasped, a huge, slow smile spreading across her face.

"James! This is beautiful!" she breathed, indicating for him to put it on. He smiled as he did so, hugging her when he was done.

"I take it I'm forgiven?"

"Oh, yeah," Lily giggled, giving him a kiss.

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Delilah sat on Sirius's bed, strumming away on her guitar while he listened and attempted to work on his muggle studies essay. Delilah had done it the day before, but being a procrastinator, Sirius put it off.

"Hey, isn't your birthday coming up?" Delilah asked suddenly.

"In a couple of weeks. Why?"

"Hellooo! You're turning seventeen! We've got to do something special!"

"Remus's is a few days after mine, too, by the way," Sirius chimed in tentatively.

"I'm not doing anything for him!" she exclaimed angrily. Sirius winced, knowing she was still bitter about Remus standing up Loraina for apparently no reason.

"I promise you he had a good reason for doing what he did," Sirius said.

"I don't care what his reason was. He broke my best friend's heart. There is no excuse for hurting a girl like Loraina!"

"Delilah, when he gets around to telling you, you're going to regret saying that," he said, waving his finger at her teasingly.

"I don't care," she pouted. "She's my best friend and he hurt her. It's part of my job description to be angry with him. So there!" With that, she stuck her tongue out at him and continued playing her guitar.

"Yeah, yeah. Just play your guitar, woman."

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"Rain, please listen," Remus pleaded, trailing after an obviously annoyed Loraina toward the library.

"I have thrown things at you, I have hit you, I have insulted you, I have even hexed up, Lupin! What does it _take _with you?!" Loraina shouted, reeling around.

"I won't stop until you forgive me," Remus said simply.

"Looks like you've got a long life of an angry Loraina to deal with then," Loraina huffed, turning back around.

"Please, Loraina..."

"Lupin, really, if you don't leave me alone, I am seriously going to snap and I cannot be held accountable for my actions."

"Hate to say it, Rain, but I think you already snapped," Remus chuckled. When she growled at him like an animal, he stepped back and blocked his face. "Please don't slap me again!"

"Don't call me Rain."

"Why not?"

"Because you've lost the privelage to give me a nickname," she said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Loraina, I'm sorry! You know that I"m sorry! I've been following you around for two bloody days! Will you please just forgive me?!"

"No, I won't forgive you. I spent hours getting ready for that stupid ball. I then spent hours crying my eyes out when my fantasy night was completely ruined because my date _stood me up._ Then he comes around telling me to forgive him but won't tell me _why _he didn't show! I'm just supposed to trust that it was a good reason, when you already lied to me about something stupid like getting hurt in a prank! How am I supposed to trust you, Remus?"

"I don't know, but please, just try! One more chance!"

"No, Remus," Loraina said sadly, shaking her head. "Maybe eventually, but not right now. I just don't want to talk to you for a while, okay? I need space."

With that, she walked away, and Remus, not knowing what else to do, watched.

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"Delaney, they're back together!" Amber screeched at her best friend. "I _thought _you were going to help me split up that stupid little group!"

"I thought that I did!" Delaney, otherwise known as Brunette Girl, rushed to say. "I really did! James and Evans were totally over!"

"But they got back together," redheaded Jesabelle put it with a smug smile. "Amber, you should have let _me _do it!"

"No way! I can still do it!"

"No, you can't!" Amber snapped. "Look, it's obvious that I just need to go after Remus myself. Apparently, he and Parker had a fight or something, and he's been trying to get her to forgive him, but she's not budging."

"Perfect. So..what are you gonna do?"

"Flaunt it," Amber said, hiking up her skirt and winking at her friends with a giggle. "It's what I do best."

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"Lily-kins!" Delilah shouted up the stairs to Lily's room. She then preceded to race up the stairs and swing the door open to reveal Lily practically on top of James, in her bed, kissing him furiously. "Woah-kay! AWKWARD!"

Lily flew off the bed, James sat up in shock, his glasses fell off, and, for good measure, Delilah screamed.

"Delilah!" Lily exclaimed in an offended voice.

"I am so sorry!" Delilah gushed, beginning to gesture awkwardly until she finally settled on pointing to the door.

"I'll just be...going."

"Erm...yeah, me too," James said, equally as awkwardly.

Delilah and James shuffled out of the door, both beat red and not speaking to each other. Lily laughed, embarrassed, and put her face in her hands.

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"You would not believe what he said!" Loraina screeched to her friends. The blonde was obviously quite irritated, pacing around and grasping at her hair.

"What'd he say?" Delilah asked, looking scared.

"He was talking about how he had such a good reason and that I should just give him one more chance! I'm through giving everyone second chances, especially Remus Lupin!"

"Did you tell him that?" Lily asked, leafing through her book. She and Delilah were still rather awkward from their encounter the day before...

"Yeah, I actually did," Loraina said. "It felt really good, to finally say what I'm really feeling instead of hiding behind what people want to hear."

"Let's face it, Raina, it was a one time thing," Lily laughed.

"Yeah, I'll probably never do it again," Loraina mumbled, her cheeks flushing. "But it was fun while it lasted!"

"That's what matters," Delilah chuckled.

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"Moony, why the long face?"

"Loraina," the blonde boy mumbled, running his hands through his hair. "She doesn't want to talk to me. Ever."

"Oh," James said sadly. "Well, on the brightside, we've got our first quidditch match this weekend!"

Remus groaned and dropped his head to the table.

**Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter was really, really bad, I get it. But I need to make sure to either resolve or develop on conflicts slightly, and I realized that I had kind of forgotten about Quidditch, so the match will be next chapter. **


	18. No, You Listen!

**Author's Note: The locker room scene is inspired by the movie A Cinderella Story.**

Remus stood in the boys' locker room that Saturday, prepping for the game and trying to get his mind set on only the game. The Gryffindor team was composed of all boys except for Delilah, who was currently in a room all by herself. He had not done as Loraina requested; he was not giving up trying to get him to forgive her. In fact, he had taken to being almost like James had been with Lily, pestering Loraina non-stop.

"Girl alert!" a chaser named Charlie Duncan yelled. Remus was too busy talking to James and Sirius to notice, sitting on the bench. He was laughing at something Sirius had said when James suddenly hit him lightly on the shoulder and Remus looked up to find Loraina walking toward him with a certain kind of deliberance to her steps. Remus swallowed; she looked beautiful, with her hair straightened and just enough make up on, and managed to say one word.

"Loraina, listen..."

"No, Remus, you listen. It's time you listen to me! I want to tell you just how I've felt this past week. It was me who was hurt that night, Remus. I really, really liked you. I guess you were just pretending. But I never pretended to be anything other than myself. I'm done with you, Remus, and whatever could have been is going to stay could have been. It's not going to happen. So even though my life is completely crumbling around me right now, it's you that I feel sorry for," Loraina seethed. She then turned and began to walk out.

"Loraina, wait!"

Loraina just shook her head and kept walking, her head held high. Remus turned and punched the locker in one swift motion.

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Lily met Loraina outside of the locker room, giving her friend a tight hug.

"You okay? Delilah told me you were going to talk to him..."

"Yeah," Loraina said with a small, sad smile. "I'm fine. It definitely felt good, that's for sure."

"Are you sure you're up for going to the game? I'll stay up in the dorms with you, if you want," Lily said, but Loraina could tell how much she wanted to go. This was James's first game as captain, and Loraina saw how much her best friend wanted to be there for her boyfriend.

"I want to go. It's our last first game," Loraina laughed, linking arms with her friend. "Now let's go."

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The game was speedy and short, as Ravenclaw was simply no match for Gryffindor. Delilah had caught the snitch right out from Gary Davies's nose, as he had been too distracted by her hair flying about her face in gorgeous blonde waves. Sirius had then hit a bludger right at the charming Ravenclaw, who was definitely deterred from catching the snitch, and, more importantly, in the opinion of Sirius, from checking out Sirius's girlfriend.

Sirius officially loved quidditch even more than before, as Delilah certainly had a good way of congratulating him after a match. Loraina and Lily ran down from the stands to congratulate their friends, giving each of them hugs. For a moment, Loraina even hugged Remus before drawing back with a squeak and going to console Troy, who was the keeper for the Ravenclaw team.

"PARTY TIME!" Charlie shouted over the noise of everyone rejoicing. Delilah whooped in agreement as Sirius lifted her up in the air.

"To the common room!" Delilah shouted jovially. Quidditch was definitely a fun sport, and she was mentally kicking herself for not trying out earlier.

Lily and James were...celebrating, Sirius and Delilah were pumping people up for the party, Loraina had already dashed up to the dorms, and Remus was walking behind everyone with a forlorn look on his face.

"Where's Loraina?" Lily asked as she broke away from her boyfriend, who was loping off to the showers.

"She went up to the dorms," Remus mumbled.

"Remus?" Lily asked as he began to walk away. He turned around to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"She'll come around."

"I hope so."

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The party was in full swing. Music was pounding through the speakers, drunken students were hooking up with people they would never look at sober, and Lily was trying her hardest not to put a stop to it. The responsible, rule-abiding, wet blanket Lily was just dying to scream at everyone about the inappropriateness of it all, but the Lily who had fallen for James Potter just didn't have the heart to do it.

"Have you seen Delilah?" Sirius shouted over the music to James.

"She's dancing with Loraina and Lily somewhere," James yelled back.

"Right then. You think she'd kill me for dancing with someone else?" Sirius said back loudly.

"Mate, learn from my mistakes! Don't do it!"

Sirius chuckled and walked off into the crowd, trying to look for the shimmery hair of his girlfriend. He hadn't seen her since the end of the game, so he had no idea what she had chosen to wear to the party. He finally spotted her, wearing a red camisole with lace accents and a pair of extremely tight jeans. He smirked at her outfit and went to approach her before he noticed her flirting it up with some Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuffs had been let it in for the party, and he ground his teeth with anger before turning and finding the first girl he could.

Her name was Missy, and they had dated the year before for quite a while, at least by Sirius Black standards. She had long brown hair, a pretty smile, and almost no inhibitions or conscience. Sirius smirked at her and asked her to dance, which she eagerlly accepted, not noticing Delilah rejecting the guy she had been harmlessly flirting with.

Delilah watched Sirius dance with the other girl and took it in stride. She couldn't expect him to change in one swoop, could she? She continued dancing with Lily and Loraina, grinning as Lily broke out the karaoke.

_Everytime they turn the lights down,_

_Just wanna go that extra mile,_

_For you,_

_Public display of affection,_

_There's like no one else in the room._

_We can get down like there's no one around, _

_We keep on rockin',_

_We keep on rockin',_

_Cameras are flashin',_

_While we're dirty dancin',_

_They keep watchin',_

_Keep watchin',_

_Feels like the crowd is saying._

Delilah wasn't entirely positive how she ended up on a table, singing this provacative pop song, but she had, and she searched the crowd for Sirius, looking for someone to sing the song to. When he was nowhere to be found, she kept going.

_The center of attention,_

_Even when you're up against the wall,_

_You've got me in a crazy position,_

_If you're on a mission,_

_You've got my permission. _

She giggled as she got off the table when the song was over and then went off in pursuit of her boyfriend, who was still no where to be found. James and Remus didn't know where he was, either, but dragged her onto the dance floor. She laughed it up and jokingly danced with her guy friends, Sirius still in the back of her mind as she scanned the crowds.

When the party was over and Delilah was the only person left, sitting on the couch and waiting for Sirius to come back from wherever he was, she sighed, closing her eyes and giving into sleep.

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Sirius entered the common room when it was nearly two in the morning, a heavy feeling of guilt in his stomach that only intensified when he found Delilah, asleep on the couch in the messed up common room. He didn't have the heart to wake her as he watched her for a moment and then went up to his dorm.

Remus sat up in bed, lighting his wand and staring at his friend.

"Where were you? Delilah spent almost the entire night looking for you. And you missed her little show."

"I was...out."

"I can tell," Remus mumbled sleepily. "More importantly, who was she?"

"What?"

"Who did you fool around with, Padfoot?"

"Missy."

"Again? Mate, Delilah's the best thing that's ever happened to you!"

"I know, but...she made me so mad, flirting with that Todd guy from Hufflepuff, and it just kind of happened. And you know Missy, she's a bitch but she really knows how to get to me..."

"And Delilah loves you."

"She doesn't _love _me. She's never once told me that."

"Everyone else can see it," Remus grunted. "I'm going back to sleep."

Remus left Sirius to toss and turn all night, thinking about what he had done.

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Three weeks wore on, and Sirius continued to meet with Missy in secret, despite the horrendous feelings that began to take their toll on him. He really, truly cared about Delilah, but he just couldn't stop with Missy. Missy listened to his stupid ideas, and, doggish as he felt, she put out.

Remus and James promised not to tell Delilah, but could not have been less happy about it. They both looked at Delilah as a younger sister who needed protecting. They were part of the few people who saw past Delilah's confident mask and into the insecure, vulnerable girl who was underneath it.

Sirius knew that what he was doing was wrong. He felt it every time he looked at Delilah, every time she kissed him and hugged him, every time she reassured him or looked over his homework. What made him feel the worst was the fact that she defended him. Jealous girls would often pretend to be looking out for her, telling her that Sirius would cheat and she should just end it. But Delilah would stand up for him, yell at people, tell them that they had no idea what they were talking about.

For once in his life, Sirius felt truly guilty for his guilty pleasures.

**Author's Note: I cannot believe that I made Sirius cheat on Delilah. But trust me, this is all going to come into play later, I promise. And I thought it would be good to give them a not-so-perfect relationship. Let's face it, a playboy wouldn't just change overnight. Also, I loved having Loraina stick up for herself. It was nice to have her stick up for herself instead of other people for once. The next chapter should be up soon enough, so stay tuned! **


	19. Yes, You Idiot, We're Okay

**Author's Note: mischief manage: I have an idea for "Hey There Delilah" to be incorporated in this story, and your answer to Loraina figuring Remus out is in this chapter. Enjoy! **

The three weeks in which Sirius had been cheating on Delilah went by in a blur. Delilah had thrown a party for him and Remus, with only their closest friends. That had made him feel even guiltier than before, but he repressed it. Loraina had taken to hanging around them more often, but pretending like Remus didn't exist at all.

Remus had made one last, desperate attempt at apologizing before the next full moon, when he was too tired and upset to care. He, James, and Sirius planned out their excuses much more carefully this time, and when the time came, Remus went to the Whomping Willow with a grave expression on his face.

Sirius and James soon joined him in animal form, and they took him onto the Hogwarts grounds, as an upset Remus made for a much slower werewolf. Remus, or Moony more correctly, began to perk up, James and Sirius, in their Prongs and Padfoot forms, were much more content, glad to have brought some happiness to their depressed friend.

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Loraina pulled a sweatshirt over her head and shoved her feet into her warmest slippers. Her thoughts were simply racing too fast to sleep, and she tiredly set out for a walk to clear her head, curfew be damned. She figured her best bet would be to go outside, where people only patrolled in the early hours of the night, and headed out in that direction, quietly humming to herself.

Remus had tried his hardest to get her to forgive him and she knew that. She just couldn't accept his apology until he gave her a straight forward reason and proof as to why he couldn't be there. Without that, she just couldn't forgive him.

She knew that Delilah would be worried if she awoke and Loraina was gone, but she continued on anyway, in her exhausted state. When she finally reached the lake, she lay down under a tree and stared at the full moon. She'd always found the moon so beautiful...

A loud growl and a pained yelp interrupted her thought process, and she sat up, her breathing unsteady at the scare. She saw three large figures dashing at her, two of them obviously chasing the other. With no wand and no other form of protection, Loraina ditched her slippers and began to sprint back toward the castle.

She could hear the pounding of paws, or some other form of animal feet, behind her, and she continued running, the muscles in her legs burning in protest. The loud, feral growl that ellicited from her persuer was enough to make her keep going, before she was forcibly tackled into the ground.

She only caught a short glimpse of the terrifying werewolf before it was thrown off of her by a giant deer. She was then dragged by a big black dog, which she fought all the way. The big deer was attacking the werewolf, and Loraina just didn't have the heart to let that happen. As she was being dragged, she picked up a rock and chucked it at the massive being, which didn't seem to do much. She then realized that her only way of helping the werewolf was to get away from the dog, which she did successfully by punching it.

She dashed toward the werewolf, mentally asking herself if she had a death wish. When she finally reached them, she realized that the deer was a massive stag that was more than half the size of her and she gulped, before throwing caution to the wind and jumping on its back.

It all happened in a blur. The werewolf leapt toward her, and she screamed. The dog jumped in front of her, the stag began to push her out of the way, and the three animals began to brawl. Suddenly, a pained howl was the only sound to be heard as the werewolf began to transform. She watched with wide eyes as Remus Lupin passed out where the werewolf had been standing moments before. She rushed to his side, suppressing her shock as the dog and the stag became Sirius Black and James Potter. The Marauders had a lot of explaining to do...

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Remus awoke to find Loraina watching him with worried and utterly exhausted eyes. They were rimmed red, an obvious sign she had been crying.

"Loraina..."

"Remus..."

"I'm sorry for trying to attack you," Remus croaked. "I...I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to hate me more than you already did."

"Remus, I could never hate you, especially not for something you have no control over. I'm sorry for being so ignorant."

"So we're okay?" Remus said slowly and hopefully.

"Yes, you idiot, we're okay," Loraina giggled, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. You rest, okay?"

"Of course."

"And Remus?"

"Hm?"

"I'm really glad I know now."

"Me too."

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"James?" Lily asked, creeping into the boys' dorm. She found her boyfriend, laying on his bed in exhaustion, cuts covering him. "James!"

"Lily," he whispered, sitting up painfully. "Ouch. Hello there, darling."

"Why didn't you come up to our dorm last night? And what happened to you? And where's Sirius? Shouldn't he be in your bed, not you?"

"Woah, there, Flower."

"Sorry."

"I didn't come up last night because I couldn't make it that far. And as for the rest, sit back and listen, darling, because this is a long story..."

And with that, James filled his girlfriend in on the Marauder's most secret of secrets. The fact that Loraina knew opened him up to telling Lily, and, although he was terrified of her reaction to his breaking of the law, he knew she needed to know.

"We really didn't want to break the law, but it makes our friend's life a little bit less of a hell, and if we can do that, then it's all worth it," James said fiercely, looking up into her eyes. He was surprised when she kissed him slowly and gently, as not to hurt him.

"James," she whispered. "I love you."

His heart was in his throat. That was the first time Lily had ever said that to him, and he grinned at her.

"I love you too, Flower."

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Delilah rushed to Sirius's bedside in the Hospital Wing, tears on her face as she took in his scratched up face and bruised forehead.

"Delilah?" he groaned as he awoke.

"Sirius," she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "You're okay."

"Yeah," he said, wincing as he tried to smile. "I'm fine, love. Nothing to worry about."

"Loraina came to tell me you were here, and I was so scared," Delilah sniffled, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey now, don't cry," Sirius attempted to console. "I'd hug you, but I can't really move right now."

Delilah held his hand and kissed it gently. "Don't ever do that to me again, Sirius. You have no idea how afraid I was. I-I think I'm in love with you, Sirius."

Sirius gulped down the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him as he whispered back, "I love you, too, Delilah."

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Loraina sat in her room, hours later, surrounded by her werewolf books. She was berating herself for not seeing all the signs; she had been so wrapped up in Remus's perfection that she hadn't bothered to think he possessed any faults. Her heart swelled at the thought of the blonde boy, whom she now liked even more then she had before. He had held in that dark secret for so long, trying to protect those he cared about.

Loraina made a vow to herself to never leave him alone, to never let him suffer alone like he had been. He had had James and Sirius, of course, but she still felt like there was something beyond friendship that she could give him. When she was positive she was ready to forget their slightly rocky past, Loraina vowed to give him her whole heart.

**Author's Note: Okay, so Loraina and Remus still aren't together, but we got two "I love you"s! I am so excited to keep writing about this Delilah/Sirius/Missy thing. I have big plans for that one, particularly Delilah's reaction. Keep looking for chapters! The next one (or two. Or three) should be up in the next couple of hours. **


	20. How Could You?

**Author's Note: Woot! CHAPTER TWENTY! I am so, so, so excited that I've made it this far, and in only like four days, too! The drama is so ON in this chapter. Buckle your seatbelts, kids, it's gonna be a bumpy ride! **

"Ugh, Lily, I could really use some help with this spell," Delilah complained, discussing the curse they had just learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts. "I just can't get it down, and Professor Earles is going to kill me!"

"We'll go to the empty Defense Room at lunch, okay?" Lily soothed. It was breakfast, and the boys had yet to come down. Five days after the incident, the six teens had bonded closer than before, united by the secret and of a new found trust. There were no longer any secrets being kept from the others.

"Thank you so much!"

"No problem," Lily shrugged it off. "Loraina, you have got to put that werewolf book away before Remus comes back."

"I really think that I can think of something to help him!" Loraina pouted, but put the book away anyways.

"Hey you guys? Have you noticed anything weird going on with Sirius?" Delilah asked, her brow furrowed.

"He has seemed a bit distant. That's been going on for a while, though," Loraina agreed, nodding.

"Yeah. But more so the past week," supplied Lily.

"I was hoping it was just my imagination," Delilah sighed. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, honey," Lily comforted. "You've been the best girlfriend the boy could ask for! You put up with his flirting, his bad eating habits, his annoying jokes; hell, you're my hero!"

"Thanks," Delilah laughed. "Man, I dunno what I would do without you two."

"Aw," Loraina cooed.

"No, really," Delilah said . "In all seriousness, you're the family that I don't have."

"Same," Loraina supported. "Sisters for life, right here."

"That we are," Lily said. She put her hand in the middle of their little group, wiggling her fingers. The other two did the same.

Lily lifted her goblet with one hand. "To sisters."

"To the best of friends," Loraina said, raising hers as well.

"To us," Delilah finished, as they clinked glasses. "Because we've been to hell and back together."

"And we've gotten in hundreds of fights to back each other up," said Loraina.

"And we've always got each other's backs, no matter what," finished Lily.

"That we do," Loraina and Delilah chimed in unison.

"Mushy moment of the morning. Let's get to Potions before the beastly Orion swallows us hole and cooks us with his fire breathing powers," Delilah said with a roll of her eyes. Her friends laughed, and the three exited the hall.

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"Miss Monroe, may I see you after class?" Orion said.

"I'm afraid not, Assistant Professor. I have a tutoring session that I simply cannot be late for," Delilah apologized. "I'm terribly sorry."

"We'll just reschedule then. Tonight before dinner, perhaps?"

"Fine," Delilah said nonchalantly. "I'll be there."

Sirius was watching the exchange carefully, noticing the way that Orion brushed his hands against Delilah's hips as he brushed behind her. He clenched his jaw angrily, but James simply scoffed at him.

"Think of what you're doing to her," James sneered. "In that aspect, you're just as bad as him."

Sirius resisted the urge to hex his best friend. "Take that back."

"No," James seethed. "I'm keeping quiet to her, but that doesn't mean I'm going to accept the fact that you're fooling around with some slut."

"That does not make me as bad as Orion," Sirius ground out through gritted teeth.

"No, mate, but pretty damn close," Remus said from his other side, before flashing a sappy smile to Loraina, who bit her lip and smiled back at him cutely.

"I love Delilah," Sirius insisted. "Orion never has and never will."

"You love Delilah enough to sleep with another girl behind her back," James taunted. "Me and Lily must have this whole love thing wrong, because I'm not doing that."

"Shut up, James," Sirius hissed.

"She's going to find out soon, Sirius," Remus said, then taking in the appalled look on his friend's face, added, "Not that we're going to tell her, but she will find out. These things can't be hidden forever."

"Sirius, tell me something, do you love Missy?" James asked.

"No."

"If you had to choose, Delilah or Missy, who would you choose?"

"Delilah."

"I think you know what you've gotta go, Padfoot."

"Not yet. I'm just not ready yet."

"Suit yourself."

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Lunch rolled around rather quickly, and Lily, Loraina, and Delilah headed toward the empty room when they finished their hurried meal. Lily opened the door, being in the lead by several feet, and immediately closed it, turning to her friends with her most convincing smile.

"Oops. It's occupied," Lily said with a fake little giggle. "Let's go somewhere else."

"Lil, we really don't have time. It's gonna take you a long time to explain this stupid curse to me, believe me. I'll just ask them to leave nicely," Delilah said, putting her hand on the door knob. Lily pushed her away.

"No! Trust me, we can find somewhere else."

"Lily, this is the only classroom open during off periods. You're acting like a spaz," Delilah said, giving her friend an odd look.

"Delilah, we really don't need to go in there," Lily insisted. Delilah rolled her eyes and brushed Lily aside. Lily attempted to get in front of her friend, but was cut off by the loud bang that Delilah's books made as they hit the stone floor.

Sirius and Missy were both half-naked, kissing furiously. They broke apart at the noise and Sirius grabbed his shirt off the ground, buttoning his pants hurriedly.

"Delilah!"

"How-How _could _you?" she whispered brokenly. He stepped toward her, and she jumped back. Loraina and Lily were glaring daggers at Missy, who was smirking smugly.

"Delilah, I'm sorry, I..."

"Save it, you filthy, disgusting bastard!" Delilah said, her tone low but furious. She wheeled around and ran out of the room. There was no way in hell she was going to let him see her cry.

"I hope you're happy," Lily growled at him as she and Loraina chased after their best friend.

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Delilah sat in her room, alone, two hours later. Lily and Loraina had left at her request, giving her some time alone to try out the song she had written while she cried and they attempted to cheer her up. The tears fell down her face but her voice was clear as she sang her song.

_This isn't how we started out,_

_Not so stable, not so strong,_

_I didn't know what you were about,_

_Didn't know my assumptions were all wrong. _

_One night,_

_One simple night,_

_Can change everything,_

_One lie,_

_One stupid lie,_

_Can damage me. _

_Even if the lies hurt,_

_The truth kills,_

_Even if I say I forgive you,_

_I probably never will,_

_One kiss and you broke my heart,_

_Should've known you would,_

_From the start,_

_Should've seen this coming,_

_But I didn't,_

_The truth kills. _

_Blackened words,_

_Upon the haunting door,_

_Echo what,_

_We could have been,_

_My darkened thoughts,_

_Running through my mind,_

_Taunting and tainting me,_

_Didn't know that I would find..._

_Even if the lies hurt,_

_The truth kills,_

_Even if I say I forgive you,_

_I probably never will,_

_One kiss and you broke my heart,_

_Should've known you would,_

_Right from the start,_

_Should've seen this coming,_

_But I didn't,_

_The truth kills. _

_The cracks in my heart,_

_Bleeding red,_

_You made lying,_

_Such an art,_

_And the tears I've spilled,_

_Can't take them back,_

_Just like you can't gain back,_

_The trust you've killed. _

_Even if the lies hurt,_

_The truth kills,_

_Even if I say I forgive you,_

_I probably never will,_

_One kiss and you broke my heart,_

_Should've known you would,_

_Right from the start,_

_Should've seen this coming,_

_But I didn't,_

_The truth kills. _

_I just wanna know,_

_Was she worth it?_

_I just need to hear,_

_Is she better than me?_

_I just wanna know,_

_What's she got,_

_That I don't?_

_That I don't?_

_Can you look me in the eye,_

_And say that things will be the same,_

_Sugar coat it with your pretty little lies,_

_Can you honestly tell me now,_

_Tell me how._

_Even if the lies hurt,_

_The truth kills,_

_Even if I say I forgive you,_

_I probably never will,_

_One kiss and you broke my heart,_

_Should've known you would,_

_Right from the start,_

_Should've seen this coming,_

_But I didn't,_

_The truth kills._

_You're a pretty little liar,_

_With an evil smile,_

_One look,_

_You set me on fire,_

_Cause the truth,_

_Yeah, baby,_

_It kills,_

_So how do you feel,_

_Now that you're,_

_A murderer._

Delilah dropped her guitar and let the tears overcome her as she slumped onto her bed. Loraina and Lily were at her side in an instant, soothing their heartbroken friend. Their eyes met over Delilah's head, and they nonverbally agreed one thing; Sirius Black was going to get a piece of their minds.

**Author's Note: Okay, so for the first time, I just put my own lyrics in a story, so please do not criticize them, as they are very close to my heart. Also, Delilah is going to have a lot of stuff on her at once coming up here soon. Look out for the next chapter. I'm on a drama roll right now.**


	21. IWantMyBookBACK!

"I cannot believe that you would do something like that!" Lily screamed at Sirius, who looked miserable enough as it was. He felt as though his heart had been ripped out, ripped in half, and then stomped on by a thousand Hippogriffs.

"You are such a jackass, you know that? Delilah loved you, Sirius, she really loved you, and she just found out that everything you said to her was a lie!" Loraina shouted, gesturing around wildly.

"I never lied about loving her," Sirius growled.

"Like we really believe that," Loraina scoffed.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Sirius roared. "I love her with everything in me!"

"If that was true, you wouldn't have messed about with Missy!" Loraina fired back, her hands on her hips.

"C'mon, Loraina, I can't stand to be around him anymore, knowing that while Delilah worried about him being distant and trying so hard to make him happy, he was just cheating on her," Lily growled, looking at Sirius as she walked out with Loraina.

Sirius slumped as the door closed and closed his eyes, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had been an idiot, he knew that, and he now wished he had just ended things with Missy. Anything would have been better than this. It was now almost the end of November, and Sirius was fully aware of the fact that there was going to be a Christmas Ball. Delilah would have no problem getting a date, he knew. There was no way he could handle seeing her with someone else.

He wanted desperately to know how she was doing. She hadn't shown up in classes after the incident; he hadn't expected her to, after she ran off. What shocked him was when she hadn't even come for any classes for the next two days. He wasn't sure what excuse she was using to get out of classes, but it was apparently working.

Remus entered the room with a weary expression.

"I just ran into Loraina and Lily downstairs. They seemed pretty fired up."

"Yeah," Sirius whispered gruffly.

"I'm sorry, Padfoot, but it's kind of hard to feel sympathy for you. We all knew this was going to happen," Remus said honestly.

"I know," Sirius croaked. "I just...I just miss her so much already. It's only been three days, and I feel like something's missing."

"That'd be your better half," Remus said. Sirius expected him to be joking, but he wasn't.

"I don't know how much longer I can last like this, Moony."

"She's not doing any better," Remus supplied. Sirius practically leapt at his friend.

"You've talked to her? How is she?"

"She's miserable, and yes, I've talked to her. Her parents are trying to bring her home to home school her."

"Why?!"

"Because for the past month or so her grades have been rather dismal," Remus said, looking at him pointedly. "They think that Hogwarts is teaching her all wrong and that they should get her a private tutor to teach her at home."

"But her parents are horrible! They can't do that!"

"She doesn't turn seventeen until February, and then she could come back, I suppose."

"I can't wait that long!"

Remus raised his eyebrows at his half-way to hysterical friend. "Mate, calm yourself."

"Sorry."

"Sirius," James said, panting as he ran into the room. "Missy is looking for you."

"I don't want to talk to her," Sirius grunted, sitting back stubbornly. "I told her it was over and that's that."

"Okay. I'll tell her," James said, turning and jogging away once again. He was soon back in the dorm.

"You missed it. Missy was outside of the common room while Delilah was coming out. Delilah almost punched her, but Lily restrained her. Shame, really. It would have been pretty interesting."

Sirius just groaned, falling back onto his pillows and banging his head against the wall.

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"Lily, my Flower," James greeted dramatically. "Meet me at seven for a special surprise."

"James, I need to study," Lily said, her eyes about three times their normal size. She was staring into a book, but she appeared to not really be seeing it. "I have a huge Ancient Ruins exam tomorrow."

"You need to take a break," he said, gently leading her way from the book. She hissed like a cat and bit into his forearm. With a yelp, James released her and she leapt upon her book greedily.

"Must study," she grunted like a cavewoman.

"Lily," James said firmly, slowly pulling her away from her book this time and turning her around to face him. "You really, really need to take a break."

"No, no, no!" she shouted, stomping like a toddler in a toy store who wasn't allowed to get anything.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Lily, you are being completely irrational."

"I am not!" she exclaimed, pouting, crossing her arms, and stomping some more.

"Yes, you are," he said slowly, holding her book over his head. At her height of five foot five inches, and his of six foot three, there was no way she could reach the book. She did try though.

"I. Want. My. Book. BACK!" she screeched, clawing at his chest.

"Woah, woah, woah!" he chuckled. "Okay, okay. Take your stupid book."

When she looked at him with fire in her eyes, he retreated, holding his hands up.

"Okay, then. I'll just be going then."

She growled in response.

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"Delilah, is there a reason you did not meet me in my office as requested?" Orion asked silkily. He had sidled up to her out front of the library, and she sighed, turning to face him.

"I had a bit of a bad day, and I got ill," she said back haughtily, turning to enter the library.

"What happened?"

"If you must know, your jackass cousin was sleeping with the biggest slut in Hogwarts. And I caught him," Delilah huffed, stalking away, this time in the opposite direction of the library.

"Now, Delilah," Orion said in his smooth voice. "I was a lot of things, but I was never, ever a cheater. And I've really changed. Why don't we give things another go, yeah?"

"I'm sorry, but no," Delilah said with a shake of her head.

"You know you want me Delilah," he said, taking her hand and kissing it gently. Delilah couldn't stop the small shiver that went down her spine. She wasn't positive if it was because of his charms or because of her disgust at his attempts.

"Orion, I would rather fornicate with a Hippogriff then you," she sneered, yanking her hand back and quickening her pace. Orion was not so easily deterred.

"Come on now, you don't mean that," Orion persisted.

"Yes, actually, I do."

"But that's illegal."

"And so was our relationship."

"Touché."

"Indeed. This conversation is over."

"I'll get you back, Delilah."

"Hit me with your best shot, Orion. I'm done with you Black boys."

"We'll see about that."

Delilah watched him go with a blank look on her face before shaking herself and walking off, the library forgotten.

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"Loraina, where are you off to?" Remus asked as he chased after her.

"Oh, I was just going down to visit the Frankerts," she said with a small smile. Frankerts were little, miniature wolves with extremely sweet demeanors but the bad habit of eating just about everything.

"That would explain the outfit," Remus said, gesturing to her. Her long sleeved shirt was tucked in to her jeans, which were tucked into rubber boots. Her hair was in an extremely high ponytail, and she wore no jewelry.

"Yep," she chirped. "Care to join me?"

"Sure," Remus said. They made their way to the little pen on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where the little creatures played. Loraina walked in with confidence, sitting on the ground and playing with them. Remus soon joined her.

"Did you know about Sirius and Delilah?" Loraina asked suddenly.

"Oh. Um..."

"It's okay if you did. You were protecting your friend. I would have done the same."

"Yeah, I did know."

"I just want to know. How long was it?"

"Um, since the Quidditch Match."

"That's almost their entire relationship! He was only a one woman man for two weeks!" Loraina screeched. This seemed to startled the Frankert she was playing with, who preceded to leap onto her, baring his teeth. "EEK! Oh my God!"

In an instant, Loraina was lying on top of Remus, who had been knocked to the ground by the other startled little wolves. Her face hovered just over his, and he felt all of the air leave his lungs. Remus was uncertain if it was due to her close proximity or the force at which she had fallen upon him.

Her breath smelled like vanilla, and it was intoxicating. He could smell her orange shampoo again, and without thinking about it, he kissed her. In an instant, the kiss turned from sweet and soft to passionate and rushed, months of pent up feelings pouring into it.

Remus suddenly broke away from her.

"A Frankert is chewing on my hair," he grinned. Loraina giggled and lowered her mouth to his once again.

**Author's Note: Yes! Remus and Loraina are finally together! I finally did it! And Delilah and Sirius are going to be miserable for a little while. And just what is Orion planning. Here's a little preview from the next chapter: **

"_Stay away from her, Orion," Sirius hissed. "You're just going to hurt her and we both know it." _

"_You mean like you did?" _

"_Shut up. You don't know anything." _

"_She told me, you know. We had quite the nice little conversation about it. I'm going to beat you, Sirius, you just wait." _

_Sirius pushed his cousin against the wall. _

"_She's not a prize to be won." _

_  
"To me she is," Orion sneered. "And this is all just a little game that you're going to lose." _

_Sirius pushed Orion against the wall one more time for affect before dropping him. _

"_Then let the games begin." _


	22. Or We Just Pretend To Be

Loraina and Remus were officially the most sickeningly sweet couple the halls of Hogwarts had ever experienced-and gossiped about. If they weren't together, they were staring at each other and making eyes at each other, and if they couldn't do that, they were gushing about each other to anyone who would listen.

"Loraina, I love you, but if you mention one more thing about how adorable Remus is when he makes that grossed out face in Herbology, I am going to kill you!" Delilah said in an irritated voice.

"I'm sorry," Loraina said. "I just like him so much."

"Really?" Lily said sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."

Loraina blushed and continued mapping out the stars. "Please don't kill me, but I think I've figured out something to help Remus with his transformations."

"Really?" Lily said, perking up with interest. "What is it?"

"It's kind of complicated, and I might need your help. You're much better at potions then I am."

"I'll help with anything you need," Lily said with a sweet smile.

Delilah was hunched over her work, scribbling away furiously. She was trying desperately to get her grades up, not wanting to leave Hogwarts. It was proving to be quite a difficult task, and she was spending more time in the library then she had during her entire school career.

"Could you two keep it down? I'm trying to compare and contrast the Patronus Charm with your average communication and shield charms, thanks," Delilah said impatiently, violently turning the pages of her book.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "It's like looking in a mirror," she muttered.

Delilah shot her a resentful look and Lily recoiled, continuing to read her book on poetry while Loraina updated her calendar with the dates of the full moon.

"I give up!" Delilah exclaimed, throwing her quill down. "I'll just leave Hogwarts and go live with my stupid parents for a few months until I turn seventeen. It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Delilah, don't give up yet!" Lily demanded. "I'm sure I can salvage some of my old notes."

"Yeah," Loraina encouraged. "And I know I made some really good notes in my textbooks. You'll have these essays done in no time."

"Thanks, you guys. You're the best."

"We know," Lily and Loraina answered in unison. The portrait hole to the Heads' common room opened, and Lily turned to greet James, holding in her moan of dissappointment when she saw that Sirius was with him. Delilah tensed, Sirius shifted awkwardly, Loraina glared, James cleared his throat, and Lily just sat there like a deer in headlights watching a tennis match, her head swiveling back and forth between her best friend and her ex boyfriend.

"I'm just gonna...go," Delilah said lamely, clumsily gathering her stuff and shooting out of the portrait hole. A piece of parchment fluttered out of her hands and into Sirius's hands. He looked down at it and was surprised to find a couple of verses to a song written on it.

_Your metallic eyes,_

_They haunt me,_

_Follow me,_

_My own blue eyes,_

_Haunt you,_

_Follow you,_

_Remind you of your lies._

_My own defenses,_

_Have hit the ground,_

_I'm open and exposed,_

_To his advances,_

_And I need my hero now. _

_My deepest fears,_

_Are coming true,_

_He is making his way back to me,_

_And I just don't have the energy,_

_To fight anymore._

Sirius could immediately sense what this song was about. Him and Orion. But when had Orion began to fight his way back into her life? Sirius intended on finding out what it was, even if it killed him.

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Lily dashed up the stairs to James's room, her flannel pajamas almost tripping her entirely. She bounded into his room and started jumping on his bed in excitement. He slowly opened one eye and then shut it again, rolling onto his pillow and muttering something along the lines of "five more minutes".

"James! James! James!" Lily screeched, still bouncing. He finally resigned himself to the fact that she wasn't going to go away. He rolled back over to face her and sat up on his elbows.

"Yes, my beautiful flower?"

"I don't know," she said, flopping onto the bed beside him. "But I couldn't sleep so I came to see you."

"But now I can't sleep!" James whined.

"Exactly!" Lily exclaimed. She wriggled underneath his comforter and cuddled up against him. James sighed, pulling her closer and breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" he mumbled.

"Bad dream," Lily replied. "But I'm fine."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"It was just about the attack. It's stupid, really, that I'm still upset about it," she said, lifting her head to look at him.

"It's not stupid. It was a really hard day, Lil," James consoled.

"But everyone else seems to be over it. I mean, you and Delilah got the worst of it and you're both fine."

"Or we just pretend to be," James said. "I know that I'm not fine with it. I've had dreams of that night a lot of times. It's normal, Lily."

"Okay," she said, her voice slurring slightly. James looked down at her to find her breathing steadily, her eyes closed in her slumber. He closed his own eyes and fell back into a dreamless sleep.

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Sirius, in his aimless, depressed wanderings, had somehow stumbled upon his dear cousin Orion, who jeered at him.

"How's Delilah? I've been meaning to get her in a one on one conference..."

"Stay away from her, Orion," Sirius hissed. "You're just going to hurt her and we both know it."

"You mean like you did?"

"Shut up. You don't know anything."

"She told me, you know. We had quite the nice little conversation about it. I'm going to beat you, Sirius, you just wait."

Sirius pushed his cousin against the wall.

"She's not a prize to be won."

"To me she is," Orion sneered. "And this is all just a little game that you're going to lose."

Sirius pushed Orion against the wall one more time for affect before dropping him.

"Then let the games begin."

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Delilah flattened against the wall she had been behind as she heard Sirius stalk away in the other direction. Her breath was short as she desperately tried to keep herself together.

Who was Sirius to be protecting her? He had hurt her more than even Orion had, at least emotionally. She had never loved Orion, but she had most definitely loved Sirius. The thought of Orion coming after her again, however, was becoming more and more terrifying by the second. This time, she would have no safety net, no Sirius to hold onto for dear life. Sure, he was saying he would keep trying, but Delilah wasn't sure if she could ever be civil to the boy who broke her heart ever again, let alone go back to him. Sighing, she banged her head lightly against the wall.

"Don't hurt your beautiful little head, Delilah," a slightly mocking voice cooed. She looked up in shock at the husky, deep voice.

"Hello, Orion."

"Hello, Delilah," Orion practically sang. "How are you doing, love?"

Delilah bit back her angry retort and fluttered her eyelashes, swallowing the nervous ball in her that was telling her not to do this, that he would see right through her. "I'm doing great, now that you're here."

"Fallen for my charm again, I see," Orion smirked. "Just as I expected."

Delilah pouted. "I tried so hard, but you're simply irresistable."

"I do try," Orion chuckled. Delilah resisted the urge to roll her eyes and scoff at his typical response.

"Come a little closer, Ri," she said, biting her lip. She pulled him by the tie. Just as he puckered for a kiss, Delilah snorted and kneed him in the groin. "Buh-bye, Orion."

As she walked away, Orion looked up from his place on the ground. Delilah Monroe was going to get it. And he would start with her little mudblood best friend.

**Author's Note: This chapter is a bit short, but whatever. I've decided to put Lily more into the plot than before, so that should help fix my issue with Lily and James kind of dissappearing for long periods of story time. I'm excited to keep developing on this, and I hope you all are, too! **


	23. Give It Your Best Shot

**Author's Note: Because people have asked, the songs that have been used in this story are "Monster" by Meg and Dia, "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters (I had the acoustic version in mind), and "Broken" by Seether featuring Amy Lee. The rest of the lyrics are by me. Also, I hate to say this, but my updates will probably slow to as little as one chapter a week. I am remarkably busy, and I just started the play Romeo and Juliet at school, so I'm just so booked up! The song in this chapter is "You" by Breaking Benjamin.**

"Where's Lily?" James asked worriedly, looking around the Charms classroom.

"Maybe she decided to skive off for once," Sirius shrugged, doodling aimlessly in his notebook.

"She'd never skive off for one," James said with a shake of his head, "and Charms is her favorite class."

"You don't think she's hurt, do you?" Remus asked with concern. Sirius immediately brushed the idea off.

"There's no way. Look, there's Loraina and Delilah. She's probably right behind them."

When Loraina and Delilah searched the classroom in search of their redhaired friend and could not find her, they turned to the boys, Delilah blatantly ignoring Sirius.

"Where's Lily?"

"We don't know. I thought she was with you," James said, running his hand through his hair.

"We figured she came to class with _you," _Loraina said, biting her nails.

"I'm sure she's fine," Sirius and Delilah said certainly at the same time. They looked at each other for a moment, before Delilah narrowed her eyes and looked away.

"I have a weird feeling about this," James continued, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"You're just the overprotective boyfriend," Delilah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Lily is just fine, I can guarantee you."

When, by the end of lunch, Lily still had not shown up, all of them, even Sirius and Delilah, ran up to the Heads' dorms to check on her. They found no sign of Lily, but what they found in her room was chilling.

Things were thrown about, her wand snapped in half on the ground beside her bed. The bed sheets were entirely ripped off, the dresser was overturned onto the ground, and a chair was broken into several pieces. The most disturbing was the blood on the floor and various pieces of furniture.

Loraina grasped onto Remus, burying her face in his chest. Delilah walked over to the bed and fell onto it numbly, while Sirius watched her with concern in his eyes. Remus was comforting his girlfriend, and James...James was beginning to lose it.

His head was spinning, he couldn't breath; something terribly bad had happened to Lily, and some bastard had hurt her. He turned, slamming his fist through the wall with an angry shout. Delilah jumped up from her place on the bed and hugged the now sobbing boy, while Loraina leapt up to help her friend comfort the boy she had become to regard as a brother.

Suddenly, James leapt up, Delilah and Loraina falling away from him, onto the ground. Delilah yelped in surprise, and Loraina squeaked as her head collided with the broken chair.

"Ow," Loraina said softly, touching her forehead lightly. James growled, punching a hole in Lily's wall. Loraina backed up, her eyes wide, while Delilah grabbed at James's arm.

"You need to calm down," Delilah said gently. He turned on her, a fire in his hazel eyes. She swallowed in sudden fear and took a step back to stand beside Loraina.

"Calm down?! I don't want to fucking calm down! The girl that I love is fucking missing, Delilah. Who knows where she is or what's happened to her! So don't you tell me to fucking calm down!"

"You aren't the only one who cares, James!" Delilah cried, no longer cowering behind Loraina. She stepped up and crossed her arms defensively. "She's my best fucking friend! If anything, I care _more _than you do!"

James gritted his teeth and hissed, "You could never care more then me."

Delilah and James began to scream at each other. Sirius and Remus looked at each other, not sure what to do. Loraina's eyes were filling with tears and she suddenly pushed them away from each other.

"STOP IT!" she screamed. "PLEASE, JUST STOP IT! NEITHER OF YOU ARE GOING TO HELP LILY BY FIGHTING!"

They looked at her, surprise in their eyes. Loraina shook her head, letting a couple of tears escape before she turned and dashed from the room, leaving silence in her wake.

"Who _was _that?" Remus asked suddenly but slowly. "Because that, my friends, was sure as hell not Loraina."

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Remus dashed out after her after his statement, trying to think of the places she could be. He found her curled up behind a statue, crying lightly. She had drawn her knees up to her chest, lying her face on them.

"Rain? You all right?"

"No," she said, pouting slightly. He couldn't help but smile a little as he sat down beside her and pulled her toward him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," she mumbled, nuzzling into his neck.

"Okay."

And so they sat, in comforting silence, for a good three hours, holding each other. Loraina smiled as he kissed her lightly, heading to the library to finish an essay. Leaning against the statue, she watched him walk away. _He's all I ever wanted. And he's mine._

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Delilah padded into the common room that night at two in the morning. She wasn't able to sleep, not with Lily missing and James demanding to join the search efforts. He was still trying his absolute hardest to get in on the search, but no one would let him. She was dressed in a pair of red flannel pajama bottoms, a fitted black T-shirt and black slippers completing her look. She heard a light strumming from the couch and stopped.

_My hands are broken,_

_And time is going on and on, it goes forever (how long)._

_So I got high and lived all that life that I've taken all for granted._

_My hands are broken,_

_And time is going on and on, it goes forever (how long)._

_So I got high and lived all that life that I've taken all for granted._

_Promise me you'll try_

_To leave it all behind,_

_'cause I've elected hell,_

_Lying to myself._

_Why have I gone blind?_

_Live another life._

_You. You._

_The only way out_

_Is letting your guard down and never die forgotten (I know)._

_Forgive me, my love,_

_I stand here all alone, and I can see the bottom._

_Promise me you'll try_

_To leave it all behind,_

_'cause I've elected hell,_

_Lying to myself._

_Why have I gone blind?_

_Live another life._

_You. You._

_You. You._

_You. You._

She recognized the deep, husky voice singing immediately. There was a different quality to it, something that made her heart hurt. He really did miss her. And if she was honest with herself, she missed him, too. But she just couldn't do it. Not like this. Not after everything he had done.

"Nice song," she said, as coldly as she could.

"Delilah," Sirius whispered, standing up and knocking his guitar to the floor.

"Sirius," she said, her voice at a normal level, full of harshness. He winced but began to speak again, nevertheless.

"I..I was an idiot."

"Yeah, I noticed," Delilah said, her voice sarcastic and drawling.

"Delilah, please," he said, his voice desperate. "I know you still love me, too."

"No," she said softly. "I don't."

"I know that you do!" he exclaimed.

"I loved who I thought you were Sirius," she said. "I still love that guy. But you aren't him."

"Yes, I am. I made a mistake, Delilah. But please, just one more chance."

"No," she said, her confidence beginning to waver.

"Is that all you can say?"

"No," she said stubbornly. "I can say that you're a total jackass and that you broke my heart. You're so egotistical that you expect me to just go crawling back to you, but I refuse. You aren't worth it, and we both know that you'll just do it again."

"NO! Delilah, I swear to you, I will never do it again."

She let out a bark of humorless laughter. "Am I expected to believe you? You cheated on me, Sirius."

"I know," he said, his voice strained. "And I regret it every second of every day. It was a moment of weakness. That past is the past, Delilah."

"No," she said, pushing him back as he came closer. He suddenly grabbed her and kissed her, hard. She struggled away and looked at him, her broken heart in her eyes. Sirius suddenly felt a pang in his heart; she looked so hurt, so betrayed, and it was all his fault.

"Delilah..."

"No," she whispered, a hint of teary thickness sneaking into her voice, "I can't do this. Not right now. My best friend is gone, and you broke my heart; you can't just do this. I...I can't."

She dashed back up the stairs, and Sirius collapsed onto the couch, his face in his hands. For the first time since he left his parents' house, a tear fell down his face.

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"James?" a sweet, soft voice asked, gently pushing his door open.

"Yeah?" he said, his voice choked.

"Are you okay?" she asked, lightly touching his shoulder.

"No," he said. "I...I keep thinking about what they could be doing to her. Dumbledore is positive it was Voldemort's people."

"No," she breathed. "What would they want with her?"

"It could be anything," James said. "She's the smartest girl in Hogwarts, and a muggleborn. She's a huge threat to them, if she chooses to join the war when she's seventeen. Then there's the fact that she's just muggleborn."

"But why _her?" _

"I..I don't know."

"I miss her already. I'm worried about her."

"Me, too," James murmured. "I would trade places with her in a second if it meant that she would be okay."

"James," a voice said, entering the room. "I found a...Oh!"

They both separated, realizing how compromising their position could look. Loraina had her arms around his waist, his head on her shoulder, her head on top of his.

"Remus!" Loraina said, standing off the bed quickly, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Um.."

"It wasn't what it looked like, Mate," James said quickly, ruffling his hair. Remus blinked a couple of times.

"Okay."

He then turned and walked away, leaving a confused James and a worried Loraina behind him.

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A redhead awoke blearily, her head pounding. Blood was blending with the deep colors in her hair, and her skin was covered with cuts and bruises. She groaned as the metal door to her cell opened.

"Ready for some more fun, mudblood?" a deep voice sneered. She sat up, opening her eyes fully and staring him down.

"Give it your best shot," she said. "_Orion." _

The man dropped his wand and it clattered to the floor.

**Author's Note: AH! I can't believe I didn't update for so long! Expect much faster updates. **


	24. See You Later

Lily slumped against the wall, almost a week later. She was almost positive that her left hand was broken, her entire body ached, and blood covered most of her skin. Her hair was ratty, dirty, and knotted. She closed her eyes. With no windows and definitely no calendar, she had no idea how long she'd been there.

The worst of her torture was the mental kind. The Dementors, who would periodically enter the cell and force her to relive her most awful memories, were consistently making her replay horrible moments of her past, especially James being hit with the curse in Hogsmeade. Dear Orion Black was constantly entering, polyjuicing other prisoners to look like her friends and boyfriend while he did terrible things to them.

She was starving, and she was positive she had lost quite a bit of weight. She thought of her friends, and the urge to continue filled her veins, albeit dully. She wanted to give up, so badly. Even her friends weren't quite enough to live for. She pictured James in her mind, smiling that grin that was meant just for her. Suddenly, a brilliant smile spread across her cracked, dry lips. She would fight, and she would win.

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"I'm coming with you, damn it!" James shouted, slamming his fists onto the Headmaster's desk. The Aurors around him, including his father, all flinched backward, surprised that a teenage boy was yelling at the greatest wizard that ever lived.

"Mr. Potter, I'm afraid you cannot."

"I HAVE TO!"

"JAMES!" his father shouted. "SIT DOWN!"

"NO! I love her, and I'm coming with you. Please, just let me come. I can stay covered or something, but I need to be the one to take her home."

His sentence had begun furiously but ended softly, desperately.

Dumbledore looked at him, and slowly nodded. "But, you _will _remain covered."

James grinned, settling into a chair and listening to the briefing for the mission. He was getting his Snapdragon back.

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_Dear Daughter, _

_Your father and I have decided to take you away from Hogwarts. You are obviously not doing well in your courses. It seems to me that you are far too distracted, and for this reason we will be sending you to your great aunt's house in New York. We will be picking you up tomorrow evening. Do not try to fight us, because we will win. Be a dear and just do as you're told for once. _

_Sincerely,_

_Mother_

Delilah read the letter, her eyes filling with tears. She was leaving Hogwarts and leaving the country. She would never know if Lily was okay. She wouldn't be there when Lily got back. And she would never get to patch things up with Sirius.

"Delilah?" Loraina asked softly, stepping into the room. "What are you reading?"

Delilah hugged her blonde friend tightly, as Loraina stumbled back in surprise. "I'm going to miss you."

"What are you talking about?" Loraina said, pulling away.

Delilah handed her the letter and Loraina gasped. "NO!"

"I don't want to go," Delilah cried, tears falling down her face. "But I have to."

"Both of my best friends," Loraina whispered. "Both of my best friends will be gone."

"I'll miss you so, so much," Delilah mumbled, hugging her again. They held onto each other tightly, before linking arms and walking down into the common room, where they sat on their favorite couch. "I can't believe I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Remus asked curiously as he came up from behind the couch.

"New York," Loraina and Delilah said dully, in unison. He blinked and then gaped at them.

"You can't be serious?"

"I am," Delilah said, her voice a mere whisper.

Remus hugged his sister figure tightly and grabbed Loraina's hand. "It'll be okay. You'll be back in a couple of months, as soon as you turn seventeen."

"Yeah," she whispered. "Just...ninety days or so."

"Ninety days until what?" Sirius said as he bounded up. He took a look at the somber faces and backed up slightly. "Woah. Who died?"

Loraina glared at him. Delilah huffed, got up, and walked away. Sirius looked around in confusion, shrugged, and walked up to the dorms. This left Loraina and Remus alone in awkward silence. He had been avoiding her ever since he saw her and James, innocent as it had been.

"So..." Loraina said, elongating the word and allowing it to trail off.

"So."

"Look, Remus, it wasn't like that, not at all..."

"Yeah. I know," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Then why have you been avoiding me?"

"Because I was being an idiot, thinking that you and James were going behind my back, and then when I realized I was wrong, I was too embarassed to talk to you."

Loraina giggled and hugged him, closing the gap between them. "You're too cute."

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James was preparing for the mission the next day when Delilah came into his room, dragging her trunk behind her. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black sweatshirt, her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail, no makeup on her features, and a sad expression on her face. He dropped his backpack and cocked his head to the side.

"I'm leaving," she said quietly.

"What?"

"My parents are sending me to New York."

"But..why?" he spluttered.

"They think that I'm not learning enough here or something. I'll be back in February, I think."

"But what about Lily? You can't just leave before she's found." 

"Write me, okay? When you find her. Because I know that you will. And good luck on your mission, James. But I have to go. Maybe it'll be good for me."

"You're abandoning all of us when we need you the most!" James suddenly shouted at her. She had been halfway out the door when she turned glared at him.

"I am not abandoning you! I have no choice!"

"You always have a choice!" he yelled. She gritted her teeth while he continued to yell. "Some friend you are, leaving the country when your best friend is being tortured somewhere!"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed. "You have no idea how much pressure they can put on you! You have no clue how much I want to be here, Potter, and you have no idea how fucking upset I am! You have no fucking clue what it's like to be me! You don't know me, you don't live my life, so before you do, don't fucking judge me!"

With that, she grabbed her trunk and stormed out of the room.

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Loraina and Delilah walked down to the train, just the two of them. The two girls had their arms linked, keeping hold with everything in them. Remus and Delilah had said their goodbyes in the castle, and she wasn't saying goodbye to James or Sirius. Hell, Sirius didn't even know she was leaving.

"Don't make any new best friends in New York," Loraina joked. Even joking couldn't put a smile on their faces.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Delilah said dully. When they reached the huge train, where Delilah would be the only occupant, she closed her eyes, breathing in for a moment. "I'll miss this place."

"And this place will miss you. _I'll _miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Raina."

The train let out a whistle, and the girls embraced. They pulled apart and smiled sadly at each other, letting the tears in their eyes flow down their faces.

"I guess this is goodbye then?" Delilah asked, biting her lip.

"Nah," Loraina said, a true grin breaking out on her face, "it's just see you later."

"See you later, then, Loraina."

"See you, Delilah."

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James threw his backpack over his shoulder and clapped Sirius and Remus on the backs.

"I should be back tomorrow."

"Bring her back, James."

"I will," James said to Remus, a determination in his eyes.

"God, I've said too many goodbyes today," Remus said sadly, slumping against the couch.

"Who else have you said goodbye to?" Sirius inquired, looked puzzled.

"Delilah, of course," James scoffed. "Is she already gone?" Remus nodded. "I feel terrible. We got in a huge shouting match before she left."

"Wait. Delilah left?!" Sirius yelped.

"Yeah, mate," Remus said slowly. "I thought you knew. Her parents shipped her off to New York City."

"And she's already gone?"

"Yeah, she's gone."

Sirius swallowed, running a hand down his face with a groan. The clock chimed and James looked around wildly.

"It's time for me to go, guys."

"See you later, Prongs," Remus grinned. "And when you come back, I fully expect a redhead on your arm."

"You bet."

James exited the Heads' common room with his shoulders squared and a deliberance in his step. He was going to get his girl back, whatever it took.

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Delilah rested her head tiredly against the cool glass of the train. She was sitting in the compartment she had sat in with her friends on the way to school in September. December was just beginning, and she slumped against the seat as she watched the chilly landscape travel past.

She wondered if she should have told Sirius she was leaving. Delilah wasn't sure if she would have wanted to say goodbye; it would have made their breakup that much more final. She grabbed her guitar out of her trunk and strummed away in the privacy of the compartment. She looked up, as she had in September, expecting to find Sirius staring at her intensely. She didn't, obviously, and found herself sighing in disappointment before resuming her strumming.

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Lily groaned, lying on the cold stone floor of her cell. Her beatings had gotten much worse, the curses harsher, and the dementors more frequent. She slowly began to close her eyes, letting the sweet blackness engulf her.

She awoke to a loud commotion. The Death Eaters were rushing about, seemingly in surprise and defense. Lily attempted to lift her head, but found that she could not summon the energy to do so. She let sleep overtake her once more, the ache of her body the only thing on her mind.


	25. Fight For Her

Sirius sat in the Room of Requirement, plucking his guitar. A melancholy expression was on his face as he bit his lip. Delilah had left two days before, James had not yet returned, and Lily was still missing. Christmas was in a little more then two weeks, and Sirius knew he would not be having a very merry one. Suddenly, Loraina came into the room, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. Sirius gently placed his guitar on the floor as the blonde shoved a letter and a picture in his hands.

He looked first at the picture. It was Delilah, wearing a simple cream-colored sweater, an olive green scarf, and a pair of jeans with her favorite brown leather boots. She was sitting in a huge park, grinning at them, waving occasionally, and then blowing a kiss. Sirius smiled slightly. She looked beautiful.

_Dear Loraina, Remus, and all the rest of you, _

_Hey! Delilah here! New York isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I mean, it's a pretty big, confusing place, but at night, it's gorgeous! I miss you all like crazy, of course. Expect some great songs when I get home. This place has so much inspiration, it's ridiculous. _

_Has James found Lily yet? Is she okay? How are all of you? Remus, I hope your transformation isn't too bad. Loraina, I hope your project is going well. My great aunt is pretty annoying, teaching me all these Dark Arts spells and the like. I've got to go; some neighbor of mine is visiting. "Appearances are important". At least that's what my family always says. Write soon! _

_Love Always,_

_Delilah. _

Sirius smiled. She was okay. She was safe. But he missed her. His heart ached at the thought of her, but he repressed it, trying to be happy for the girl that he loved.

"I'm so happy! She's all right! She's happy!" Loraina giggled, bouncing slightly. Sirius smiled at her, pocketing Delilah's picture. There was no way he was letting go of it.

"I'm glad."

"She misses you, you know."

"How do you know?" Sirius asked dubiously.

"She told me," Loraina said. "She wrote me a letter for my eyes only, for your information. And she misses you."

"Really?"

"Yes," Loraina sighed. "And you've got to do something about it, Sirius."

"Like what?"

"I don't know! Just show her you care. She's convinced that you don't. And she needs you, Sirius. I know you still love her, and she still loves you, too."

Sirius grinned, setting his eyes on his guitar. He had the perfect plan.

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James hoisted his backpack up, staying hidden under the invisibility cloak. They were entering a huge, sinister looking mansion, and James could feel his heart begin to race. He watched as the Aurors began to duel the Death Eaters. He dodged through the battle, opening a heavy, thick wooden door and racing down the dark, damp stairs that led into what seemed to be the prison.

There were a bunch of cells, all of which housed at least one person. He unlocked the doors of them all, not able to leave them behind. He finally reached a cell with a redhead in it. He withheld a gasp as he stared down at the broken form of his girlfriend. He unlocked the barred door and kneeled beside her, turning her onto her back so he could see her face. She began to wake, taking shaking, rattling breaths. James lifted her as gently as he could.

"James," she breathed, grasping his shirt tightly. "You...you came."

"We need to get you out of here, Lily," he said, his voice thick.

"No," she breathed. "Help the others first."

"Lily, you might not make it if I don't get you out now!" he exclaimed.

A twisted smile spread onto her features. "I won't make it either way, James."

"No," he pleaded. "No! Don't talk like that!"

She lost consciousness, and James lifted her gently into his arms, racing as fast as he could out of the mansion, attempting to dodge curses of all sorts and remain hidden.

He grabbed the portkey that was waiting for him at the gate and came spinning into the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was ready, and ushered James out as soon as he placed the girl on the bed.

He immediately went to the Heads' dorm. He hadn't slept in three days, and he wanted to see his friends. He needed some solace, and he needed rest.

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_Dear Loraina,_

_Hey, girl! I miss you so much!!! When Lily finally wakes up, please, please write me, yeah? And if she is awake, read her this letter, when you two are alone. Hell, read it to her if she's sleeping and you two are alone! My aunt dragged me to this fancy party thing a couple nights ago. I enclosed a couple pictures for you, one of which is me and the hot, hot, hottie Keith, my new neighbor. Boy oh boy, is he a cutie! You'd love him. He's polite, considerate, funny, charming...everything I want. _

_To be honest, I still miss Sirius loads. The thing is, even after all that happened, he just gave up, you know? Like, suddenly, he just stopped trying, and that hurt. That hurt a lot, actually, more then I want to let on. I wanted him to fight for me, but he didn't. I guess you can't have everything. _

_Please don't hate me, but I'm thinking about staying here. For good. Hogwarts is my home, but it holds a lot of bad memories. I know that you, Lily, and I will stay friends no matter where I am, but maybe I can finally cut ties with Sirius, and there will never be a doubt about him, about whether or not I should go back to him. Keith is a great guy, and I know you would all love him. _

_I was going to visit on Christmas Eve and Christmas, then come back here, but I think it would be best if I stayed. I love you, and I love Lily. Tell her that, okay? And tell her that I've never been happier then when I heard she was home. I miss you both. _

_Love always,_

_Delilah_

Loraina finished reading the letter to Lily with tears in her eyes. Her best friend was still comatose, but she figured hearing Delilah's familiar words would help her. Loraina was terrified at the thought that Delilah might never come back, where she belonged, all because of Sirius. She made a decision, to go and find Sirius and make him do something, anything, to get Delilah back.

She was about to get up when James and Sirius walked in, both looked downtrodden, as they all did these days. It was now just James, Sirius, Remus, and Loraina standing. Remus's full moon was the next day, and so Remus was napping, by Loraina's force.

"Sirius!" Loraina said gruffly. "You had better do something about Delilah and fast! She's met a guy named Keith, and now she doesn't ever want to come back, because she thinks you don't care!"

"What?" Sirius yelped, grabbing the letter greedily but stopping as the two pictures slid off of the parchment. The first was of Delilah on her own. She wore a gorgeous, red satin dress with a sequined panel down the front and back. It had one-inch straps and a square neckline, her long blonde hair cascading down. Sirius gulped as he stared at the picture; she just looked so pretty. The second was her, beaming, with some guy, who was holding her close by the waist. The guy looked quite a bit like Sirius, but with short hair, and brown eyes. He was smirking rather arrogantly in the picture, and Sirius immediately hated him.

He dropped the pictures and the letter, dashing out of the Hospital Wing, a new idea in his head. James sat awkwardly beside Loraina, biting his lip. She looked so stressed and upset. He gently put his hand over hers, and she looked over at him shyly, her cheeks coloring slightly.

"It'll be okay. Sirius will fix it," James reassured her quietly. She nodded, a hopeful glint in her light green eyes.

"I hope so. And I'm so worried about Remus. He hasn't been doing very well lately, and then there's Lily of course; I just don't know what to do!"

"You'll pull through it," James whispered, suddenly aware of how close they were. "I know you will."

Without thinking about it, they both leaned in and kissed each other. It started innocently, but soon became passionate with their anger and frustration. They didn't notice Lily stir as she slowly opened her eyes.

"James," Lily whispered. They kept at it until they needed air, and James looked guiltily to where he expected to find a sleeping Lily. Instead, he saw a betrayed and angry one. "Get out!"

"Lily!" Loraina exclaimed. "I...I'm so sorry."

"No. I don't want to hear your excuses. Get out of here, you stupid slut," Lily growled. "I'm in pain, and I'm tired, and I just want you to get out."

Her voice was hoarse, both from screaming during the many torturous hours she was put through and now from not using it.

"Snapdragon," James began.

"NO!"

The nurse came bustling in, pushing James and Loraina out of the door.

"What have we done?" Loraina whispered, tears filling her eyes.

James shook his head, a tear on his cheek. "I don't know. But it was a mistake."

"Yeah," Loraina said. "I...I've got to tell Remus, don't I?"

"Yeah."

And that is how Loraina found herself sitting on a bed opposite Remus, nervously wringing her hands as she got up the courage to tell him.

"Remus, I...I made a mistake."

"What did you do?" he asked worriedly and tiredly.

"Me and James...we...we kissed."

"You...you what?" Remus spluttered.

"We kissed. Lily woke up and saw us, and...oh God, it was terrible, and I'm sorry. It was a stupid decision. I was stressed and I needed someone."

"Then you should have come to me!" Remus said angrily, standing up. "When have I ever not been there for you?"

"How about when you stood me up?" Loraina retaliated bitterly.

"I had no choice! You had a choice, Loraina!"

Loraina winced. Remus only ever called her by her full name if he was really, really angry. She had expected this, but she didn't expect the amount of hurt that was in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Remus!" she pleaded. "I am so, so sorry. Can't we just put this behind us?"

"No," he growled. His voice suddenly became soft, sounding hurt and injured. "You know, I almost fell in love with you."

"Remus," Loraina whimpered.

"No," he grunted. "Just...leave."

As she slipped out of the door, he kicked his bed frame, hard, before collapsing onto the bed. He had lied. He hadn't almost fallen in love with her. He had completely fallen head over heels in love with Loraina Parker, and now she would never know. In his opinion, she didn't deserve to know.

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Sirius was sitting in the Room of Requirement when James came bursting in, sitting down with a groan. Sirius sighed, placing his guitar beside him and turning to his best mate.

"What now?"

"Lily caught me and Loraina kissing."

"Wait, you and Loraina?!"

"It was a mistake. That was the first and last time, I swear. Now Remus is going to hate me, Lily is going to hate me..."

"And I would too, but I'm not one to talk, am I? Look, mate, you royally just jacked things up."

"Yes," he said, exasperated. "I've noticed."

"Whatever you do, don't give up like I did, okay? Fight for her."

James nodded. "Okay."

"If Lily's awake, I'm gonna go see her. She could probably use a friendly face about now. I'll see you later, okay? Hang in there."

James nodded and watched Sirius walk out of the room to see the person James wanted the most.


	26. How Symbolic

**Hey! I just wanted to let everyone know that I updated the website and totally re-vamped it. Like, it's completely redone, with a soundtrack page, couple pages, new pictures, new quotes, and new actors and actresses. The only two people that are the same are Remus and Loraina, but I updated their pictures and quotes, too. So go check it out! The link and password are in my profile. **

Sirius entered the Hospital Wing with a heavy heart as he sat in the chair beside his redheaded best girl friend.

"Hey Lily," he said, squeezing her hand. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and he could tell she had been crying.

"Hi Sirius," she mumbled, looking embarassed that she was upset. Sirius chuckled at her stuborness.

"Hey now," he said. "You have a right to be upset."

"Yeah," she breathed. "How come Delilah hasn't come to see me?"

"Delilah. Her parents. You see, they...kind of sent her to New York City. As in, in America."

Lily gaped, opening her mouth and then closing it like some kind of fish. "But..what...when...huh?"

"Right after you dissappeared. She's stuck living with her aunt...and _Keith." _

Lily smiled slightly at the jealousy in his tone as he said the last word. "Is she dating this...Keith?"

"She better not be!" he exclaimed angrily. "She just can't!"

"Sirius, you're the one who slept with someone else. You can't get mad if she moves on, all right?"

"Fine," Sirius mumbled, like a little boy who was getting scolded by his mother. Lily smiled at him.

"Have you tried to do anything special?"

"No," he said. "But I'm working on it. In fact, it's right here."

Sirius pulled out several pieces of parchment, all of which were written on, front and back, in Sirius's neatest handwriting. He finally came to the last page, which had a song written on it, the words glowing. He tapped it with his wand, and the song began to filter through the room. Lily put a hand to her mouth, smiling.

"Sirius, that's perfect! I'm assuming the letter is...emotional?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. He grinned and nodded.

"I hope she likes it."

"She'll _love _it."

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Loraina sat on her bed, her head in her hands. It was the next day, and she was absolutely exhausted, mentally and emotionally. Officially, she and Remus had broken up. She had gone to talk to him again, and he had said, in his most tired, heartbroken voice, "Don't you get it, Loraina? It's over."

She stared blankly at pictures of them. In one, she was wearing a white tank top, and he was wearing a white long sleeve. She was holding onto his arm, and they were both beaming, as if nothing could tear them down. She sniffled and let a tear fall down her cheek. She had lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her other best friend all in the course of two days. No doubt Delilah knew by now, and Delilah would be especially harsh. Loraina was officially "the other girl", and given Delilah's past, she would automatically shun her.

She gazed out of her window sadly. "Hi, Mom. I really screwed things up. Remus, the guy I've been talking about for years, and I were finally dating. He...he said he almost fell in love with me. I know that I fell in love with him. But, I was an idiot, and I was emotional, and I kissed Lily's boyfriend, and she caught us. Remus ended it last night. I...I miss him. And I miss my best friends. I miss you. My whole life is falling apart, Mom. I really need you right now. I love you," Loraina whispered, her voice thick with tears before she broke down sobbing, placing her head on the cold glass of the window.

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Remus looked up warily as James entered his bedroom, looking nervous and jumpy. Remus gritted his teeth. It was the day of his transformation, and he really did not want to deal with this.

"What, James?" Remus grunted.

"I...I wanted to apologize."

"Okay."

"Um...I made a mistake, Remus. I shouldn't have done it."

"You're right, you shouldn't have," Remus said simply.

"C'mon, mate, don't you...have something to say? Anything?"

"Fine. You want me to say something? How about the fact that you ruined the best thing that's ever happened to me? Once again, the Great James Potter gets the girl. James, she was _my _girl. You had one that you loved, and she loved you, too. Instead of being happy with that, you fucked up _my _life. Or, how about the fact that my heart has been completely ripped out and stomped on by my best mate, who was dating my ex-girlfriend's best friend? That is, until he kissed my girlfriend. Funny how that works out. Is that what you wanted me to say, James?"

James blinked and stepped back slightly. Remus had said his little speech in a controlled, calm voice, which, to James, was scarier then him yelling.

"Mate," James said, his voice strangled.

"Don't call me mate," Remus hissed. "I'm not your mate. I'm nothing to you, okay?"

With that, he stormed by, running into his shoulder forcefully as he left the room, leaving James standing alone.

_How symbolic, _James thought.

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_Dear Delilah,_

_I cannot believe you're gone! I wake up, and you're in New York City! You're so hard to keep ahold of, my love! And before you start rambling on about me needing to talk about what happened while I was captured, don't. Because I don't want to talk about it yet. I would normally be with Loraina, telling her, but I can't, because she's a backstabbing slut. So, anyway, how's your life? (Haha). I miss you so much. If you were here, I would tell you everything. I need you so much right now, and I don't know what to do. I can't tell you half of what I feel in a letter; you know I've never been good at expressing my actual feelings on paper. _

_Please come home, Delilah. Sirius is a right mess. I'm sending this letter with his. Please take it into consideration, Dee. He loves you so much. I can see it in his eyes, and you know how I feel about cheaters at the moment. I love you, I miss you, and I hope you come home soon. I need you. _

_Love from your friend,_

_Lily_

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_Dear Lily,_

_You do know that if I was there, I would have kicked Loraina's ass for you, right? Cause you can't do it yourself right now, obviously. I cannot believe she would do that to you! I miss you, too, and I wish I could be there for you. And where was this letter that Sirius supposedly sent me? Cause it wasn't on this owl. Did he chicken out or something? _

_I've written to Loraina, to tell her what I think about her. I also wrote to James, and I don't think he'll ever be the same again. (Haha). I've been writing to Remus, telling him to hang in there. Have you spoken to him about everything yet? I think you two should. You'll be a good source of comfort for each other right now. In fact, if my calculations are right, he should be in the Wing with you right about now, after his transformation. _

_I love you, I miss you, and I need you, too. Don't worry about me coming home. I'll be there as soon as I can get the hell out of here. I love it here, but nowhere is more important to me then by your side, kicking backstabbing slut's asses. _

_Love, _

_Delilah _

_Loraina-_

_Wow. What can I say? I always thought you were better then this. How could you do this to Lily? Especially after everything she's been through. She needed you, and instead of being there for her, you snogged her boyfriend at her bedside while she was comatose. Wow. You really are a fucking whore, you know that? Good. _

_And what about Remus? Who's going to help him now? Who's gonna help him? You not only tore apart your relationship with Remus and you friendship with Lily, but you've ruined James and Remus's friendship. You won't be there to help him after and before transformations, and James won't be there during them. You think that Sirius can handle it on his own? He can't. And he shouldn't have to. _

_So, just so you know, I think you're disgusting, and I'm ashamed that I once called you my best friend. _

_-Delilah Monroe_

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Loraina stepped into the Hospital Wing, keeping her footsteps as light as she could. It was three hours after her crying episode, which had only been increased when she received a letter from Delilah. She watched as Lily pretended to be asleep and sighed sadly.

"Hey Lily. I know you're sleeping, or pretending to at least, and I wanted to say I'm sorry anyway. What I did was wrong. I didn't mean it, and I felt nothing. It was a one time, moment of weakness. It's a sorry excuse, but I felt alone, and lost, and upset, and he was there. Even if you hate me now, I still love you, Lily. You're still like a sister to me, and if you ever need me, I'll be there. Years from now, even if we still haven't talked, I'll be there, because we said forever, Lils, and I meant forever. You're a great person, and you didn't deserve what I did to you. I just hope you can forgive James. He's a wreck. He misses you, and he loves you, and he's just one big disaster. I am, too, but he makes you so happy, and I would rather you be happy with him and hating me then hating him and happy with me, because part of you would always be missing. I'm sorry, Lily. I'm so, so sorry."

Loraina turned and walked out of the Wing, not noticing the single tear that rolled down Lily's cheek, as she finally stopped pretending.

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Sirius held the letter in his hands. He was so nervous. Butterflies were in his stomach, his palms were sweating; he was putting his entire heart on the line by sending this letter. He didn't know if he could do it. He bit his lip, chewing on it for a moment, before finally, tediously tying it to his owl's leg. He was really going to do it. He had spent hours and hours, days and days, writing that letter, writing that song, perfecting every last chord and lyric.

He watched the owl fly off with the thick envelope, and couldn't help but grin at himself for thinking the next, totally corny thought. _It's like I just sent my heart away. _


	27. Hey There Delilah

**Author's Note: Okay, so a lot of Sirius's letter was inspired by One Tree Hill, and, for the most part, was inspired by Lucas Scott of that TV show. Delilah and Sirius's relationship just reminds me of Lucas and Brooke on the show, and I did it without even noticing. So, yeah, I figured I would throw that out there. And the song is "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's. I altered one lyric. Instead of "two more years and you'll be done with school", I made it "one more year and we'll be done with school". **

_Dear Delilah,_

_I never knew how much I love you until I lost you. Especially after you left to New York. I at least thought I had more time, more time to come up with something to make you take me back. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Delilah Monroe, and I love you more than you'll ever know and way more then words on a parchment can describe. _

_When I first saw you as a first year, I was terrified. Here was this very pretty (you weren't gorgeous yet. You were only eleven!) girl, who had all of my most terrifying family members cornered, screaming her little blonde head off. You were the only person I'd ever seen be able to do that, including my mother, who is, by the way, the scariest woman you will __never __meet. _

_Then, you were in my house and year, and my best friend developed a huge obsession on your best friend. Your jokes about James were hilarious, and your smile made me really, really happy. During second and third year, though, James stopped bugging Lily as much and became kind of creepy-stalkerish. _

_I would see you, though, and you were always with a different guy. Even at twelve, you quite the little maneater. If you were here right now, you'd see me smiling at the memory. But if you were here, I wouldn't be writing this letter, now would I? _

_Anyway, in fourth year, James was back up to bugging Lily, and I had finally realized the way I had with girls. So, while I was chasing skirts, you were breaking just as many hearts as I was, and I didn't really think about it much. I mean, yeah, I still thought you were pretty and occasionally we would have to sit through James and Lily fighting while Remus and Loraina got all quiet and started blushing around each other, but we didn't really interact that much. The same thing happened fifth year, and in sixth. In fifth year, you finally started avoiding all of us Marauders like the plague. By you, I mean you and Loraina, and I totally understood. None of us wanted to listen to Lily and James scream at each other. _

_When I saw you on the train at the beginning of this year, I definitely saw you first. I don't want you to think that I was automatically drawn to Loraina or anything, because I wasn't. I actually thought you were hotter, but I figured you hated me, and I was secretly happy when you threatened me to stay away from Loraina, because it meant that you noticed me, even if it was in a slightly bad light. _

_When we started hanging out, something changed. I started noticing little things about you, and I started to really appreciate them. It wasn't until the first Hogsmeade weekend that I realized it, thanks to Loraina. She told me that you had my heart, whether or not I knew it. I finally figured it out, and from then on I was a bit of a mess, especially when Orion entered the picture. _

_I never really told you how much I hate him. Not only did I have to put up with him as a child, but I was stuck putting up with him through Hogwarts and now this year. But what made me hate him the most was what he did to you. I could see it, every now and then. When you first came back from the Hogsmeade trip, you looked as though you'd been slapped. At the time, I had no idea who had done it, but as soon as Orion came, I knew it must have been him. Then, when you came to practice that day, looking shaken and a bruise was already forming on you, I knew he had done it, and it took all of my self control to not go after him. I knew you didn't want me to, so I didn't. _

_And when we started fake dating. Wow. Do you have any idea how torturous that was? Every time I hugged you or kissed you and especially when you shoved me against the wall, I liked to pretend, in my head, that it was real. That's how bad I had, and still have, it for you. _

_At the ball that night, you made me the happiest man on the planet. Even though our friends all had a sucky night, you made mine amazing. And here's the part where I own up to everything that I've done, with my lame-ass excuses and groveling. _

_Me and Missy starting seeing each other right after the Quidditch game. I saw you flirting with some Hufflepuff that had randomly gotten in, and I got so angry, and she saunters up to me. I didn't see you turn him down, because I left with her before I had the chance. I wish I would have stayed, just that extra second. It's crazy how one second can destroy your life, huh? _

_So, we started fooling around. The entire time, I felt so guilty. You've got to understand, I'm not proud of it, but I'd done it a lot of times. But I had never felt so guilty, messing around on a girl before. It had never made me feel sick afterward, and when I was with the other girl, the one who wasn't putting out or some stupid shit like that, I never felt like crying and telling her everything. _

_Remus and James warned me, the day you found out, that you would figure me out, and that I had to tell you. I was going to, but I was way too scared then. I should have. I should have told you the first time. At least I wouldn't have let it go for so long. _

_Truth is, Delilah, I'm desperately, head over heels in love with you. I never thought I could feel this way. I never have, and it scares me, but I don't want to let it go and regret it. I love the way that you pout when you're irritated, and the way that you bite your lip when you're thinking something that you don't want to say out loud, and you're afraid you might. I love raise one eyebrow when you're trying to be cute, and I especially love how it works. I love how you laugh at my stupid jokes, and I love how you have that smile, that special smile that's just for me. I love how your lip balm tastes and I love how your hair smells. I love how you always smell like cinnamon, and the beach, even though we're nowhere near an ocean. I could keep going on and on like this for at least five feet of parchment, but my hand hurts and I know you're probably already giggling at me anyway. (And, for the record, I love how you giggle, too.) _

_I've only given one of these totally embarrassing speeches in my life (even if it is on paper. Hell, that makes it worse, because you can now use this as blackmail and have actual evidence!). That's got to count for something. I'm the guy for you, Delilah Monroe, and I'm not giving up. I love you with everything in me, Pretty Girl. _

_Love,_

_Sirius_

_P.S. Tap the lyrics with your wand, twice. The song will play. _

Delilah, who was already crying by now, rummaged around for her wand, eagerly placing the tip on the parchment.

_Hey there Delilah_

_What's it like in New York City?_

_I'm a thousand miles away_

_But girl, tonight you look so pretty_

_Yes you do_

_Times Square can't shine as bright as you_

_I swear it's true_

_Hey there Delilah_

_Don't you worry about the distance_

_I'm right there if you get lonely_

_Give this song another listen_

_Close your eyes_

_Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_

_I'm by your side_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_What you do to me_

_Hey there Delilah_

_I know times are getting hard_

_But just believe me, girl_

_Someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar_

_We'll have it good_

_We'll have the life we knew we would_

_My word is good_

_Hey there Delilah_

_I've got so much left to say_

_If every simple song I wrote to you_

_Would take your breath away_

_I'd write it all_

_Even more in love with me you'd fall_

_We'd have it all_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_A thousand miles seems pretty far_

_But they've got planes and trains and cars_

_I'd walk to you if I had no other way_

_Our friends would all make fun of us_

_and we'll just laugh along because we know_

_That none of them have felt this way_

_Delilah I can promise you_

_That by the time we get through_

_The world will never ever be the same_

_And you're to blame_

_Hey there Delilah_

_You be good and don't you miss me_

_One more year and we'll be done with school _

_And I'll be making history like I do_

_You'll know it's all because of you_

_We can do whatever we want to_

_Hey there Delilah here's to you_

_This one's for you_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_Oh it's what you do to me_

_What you do to me._

Delilah looked at her calendar. December 23rd was just wrapping up. She threw her hair up into a ponytail, brushed aside her tears, and began to toss everything she could into her trunk. She was getting out of New York City. There was stuff that needed to be done.

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Christmas Eve was finally upon the broken group of friends. Lily had been released from the Hospital Wing that morning and had spent her day with Remus in the Heads' common room, utterly ignoring James and Loraina, while talking pleasantly to Sirius.

Lily hadn't mentioned anything about her time with the Death Eaters, and no one asked. James wanted to know so badly, but he was too scared to even talk to her. He thought about what Sirius said, and realized that he was doing anything but fight for her. So, as he sat there and watched her laugh with Remus, he silently went up to his room, concocting a plan.

SDSSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDS

Coming back from the feast, Sirius headed up to the Heads' common room on his own. He couldn't muster up enough energy to even try to pretend like he was happy. It had been two days since he sent the letter; why hadn't she replied? He knew the owl would have been there by now. He closed his eyes after he said the password, stumbling into the warm common room and collapsing onto the couch. He pulled his guitar out from under the coffee table, where he had left it earlier, and began to strum.

_Hey there Delilah,_

_What's it like in New York City,_

_I'm a thousand miles away,_

_But girl,_

_Tonight you look so pretty,_

_Yes, you do,_

_Time Square can't shine as bright as you..._

"It's even more beautiful live," a sweet voice said from the portrait hole. Sirius clumsily dropped his guitar, the metal strings making a strange noise as the instrument dropped to the ground. He leapt up and turned to the blonde in the doorway, shock on his face.

"Delilah," he croaked.


	28. It's Really Nice To Say It

**Hello, Readers! That is, if you're still out there. I lost inspiration with this story completely, for a very long time. But, I rediscovered it and so, I will wrap this thing up. I decided not to post any new chapters on this until I had it finished, so that I didn't get any hopes up just to abandon it again, but I couldn't resist.. And then I plan on writing another Marauder Era story, but with different OCs, so stay on the lookout for that =] Here it is, then. A new chapter, after what, like, two years?! Of Come Back Down =] **

Sirius stood, his hands shoved in his pockets, nervously staring at the girl he was in love with from across the common room. She was biting her lip, a sure sign that she was nervous, and he watched her take one step toward him before pausing.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he replied, equally as softly.

"So...erm...I'm not quite sure where to begin."

"Me either," Sirius admitted. "I assume you got my letter, then?"

"Yes, I did. And I loved it," Delilah said, a small grin beginning to form on her face.

"I don't...I don't expect you to take me back," Sirius explained, stuttering slightly. "I just...I needed to let you know how I feel. And I need you to be some part of my life. I know what I did was horrible, and I'm so sorry that I hurt you so many times-"

He was cut off by a teary outburst from Delilah. "I love you."

"What?" he breathed.

"I love you, Sirius. And it might take us awhile to get back to where we were, but I want to try. I'm scared to be vulnerable with you, and I'm terrified to let you all the way in again, because you hurt me so badly the last time I did. But, I'm willing to try. If you are."

"Of course I am," Sirius said. He crossed to her quickly, grabbing her in his arms and taking in the feel of holding her once again. "You still smell like cinnamon. And the ocean."

"And you're still creepy," Delilah giggled into his neck. Sirius was convinced his face might split from the pain of smiling so very huge.

"I love you, too," he whispered into her golden hair. "And I really mean that."

"I know," she said, drawing back and placing a hand on his face. She kissed his nose sweetly, crinkling her own. "As much as I hate to ruin this moment, I really am exhausted from traveling from New York, all the way here."

"Well, then, m'lady," he said, sweeping her up into his arms, "off to bed with us!"

Delilah giggled as quietly as possible, as not to wake the other boys of Gryffindor, as he hoisted her into his room. He placed her in his bed, closing the curtains as he fell in beside her. Suddenly he looked nervous.

"I can...you know, sleep on the floor," he mumbled. "I hadn't thought about this part."

Delilah smiled and snuggled up to his side. "It's fine. It's just sleeping, boyfriend." She noticed that he had suddenly stopped breathing.

"What?"

"It's just...really nice to hear you call me boyfriend again."

"It's really nice to say it."

They lay in comfortable silence for a while, until Sirius finally heard her breathing slow and become even. He looked at the sleeping girl in his arms and, despite his exhaustion, could not bring himself to sleep, simply because he didn't want to risk the chance of waking up to find her gone. He lay in the dark, pondering how happy he truly was to have Delilah back in his life. However, he wasn't looking forward to the confrontation that was bound to happen between her and Loraina. He chose to enjoy the moment he had now, dropping a light kiss on her forehead before pulling her tighter to his chest and falling asleep as well.

***

The next morning, Delilah awoke groggily, her face sticking to Sirius's chest. She laughed, peeling herself off of him with a giggle. As always, he slept like a rock as she snuck out of his bed curtains. Remus was sitting on his bed, running his hands over his blonde hair as he began to wake up.

"Happy Christmas, Remus," Delilah greeted casually.

"Happy Christmas, Delilah," Remus yawned tiredly, before suddenly realizing what was occurring. "Delilah?!" He jumped up and hugged his friend, whom he had not seen in quite some time.

"Hello," she giggled. "I came back last night. Sirius gave me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"It's good to have you back," Remus smirked. "You should go see Lily. She could use a friend right now."

Delilah frowned. "How are _you?" _

Remus sighed. "I've certainly been better."

"Well, I'm here if you want to talk. I should go see Lily."

"Thanks, Lilah."

"I'll see you later, Remus."

He waved goodbye to her as she left the dorm, going as quickly as she could to the Heads dorms. What on Earth could have happened in her absence?

"Lily?" she called up the stairs, dashing to her friend's room. She swung open the door to find her redheaded friend looking rather meloncholy.

"Delilah?!" Lily squealed, her face brightening tenfold. She leapt on her excitedly. "I can't believe you're here! Are you back for good?!"

"Yeah," Delilah smiled. "I couldn't stay away from my Lilykins long. And in further news...I'm giving Sirius another chance."

"You're kidding," Lily gasped. "I'm really happy for you, if this is what you want."

"It is," Delilah grinned. "So, how is my best friend?

"Awful, because now all I have is Remus and Sirius, and as wonderful as they are, they don't understand what I went through," Lily said, choking through a wave of sudden tears.

"Hey," Delilah corrected, "you have me now. And I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks," Lily sniffled, hugging Delilah once again. "Happy Christmas, by the way."

"Oh, right," Delilah remembered, "Happy Christmas!"

Delilah sat with Lily while she opened her presents, chatting and giggling. It was almost like old times....only they were missing one third of their makeshift family. There was a light knock on the door, and there stood their one third, nervously in the doorway. There were obvious teartracks on her face, and as much as Delilah hated her for what she did to Lily, she couldn't help but notice the blood stains on the tips of Loraina's fingers and worry.

"Sirius mentioned that you came back," Loraina said softly. "I just...I wanted to say hello. And bring you your Christmas presents."

She placed two packages on the floor before beginning to walk out. Delilah looked between her two friends nervously, torn between the absolutely helpless look in Loraina's eyes and the empty look in Lily's. She was torn between two girls she considered sisters. She knew the letter she had sent Loraina was awful, and probably uncalled for. Part of her wanted to get up and apologize to the broken looking blonde in the doorway. Suddenly, Lily's eyes filled with something close to sympathy.

"Wait, Loraina," Lily called. The girl eagerly turned around. "Now that Delilah is back, and everything else seems to be going right but us...maybe we should talk about all this. It is Christmas, after all."

Loraina sat on the floor beside Delilah, making the circle they had sat in so many times over the last seven years. "I would really like that."

"I really want to put this behind us," Lily began, "but it's hard. You've been my best friend for so long. And you knew how much I loved James."

"I know," Loraina murmured, looking ashamed. "And you have to know how much I love you. And how much I truly do love Remus."

"That's why I was so confused," Lily supplied. "I mean, you have Remus, who is the most attentive and caring boyfriend I've ever seen."

"We were both feeling helpless," Loraina tried to explain, "James and I. I can't make any excuse for what we did, but that was it. It was a one time thing, I swear it. I'll never speak to him again, if that would mean that I could have you in my life again."

Lily sighed deeply and put her head in her hands for a moment. "You hurt me. You hurt me badly. But...we've been like sisters for too long for even this to come between us. Right now, I need all the support I can get. I'm still torn up from what happened, and I need help. From both of you."

"And I will be here with all the support you could possibly want," Loraina said eagerly, before dropping her eyes to the carpet. "That is, if you want me."

"Come here," Lily said, drawing her into a hug. Delilah sniffled, tearing up at the reunion of her best friends.

"I want in!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the other embracing girls. They all fell about giggling, and for a moment, it all felt as though nothing had happened.

Loraina bit her lip, before asking the question that seemed to be on the tip of her tongue. "I know you probably don't want to talk to me of all people about it, but what are you going to do about James?"

Lily shrugged. "I really don't know. If he makes an attempt at reconciliation, I might even hear him out. But so far, it's been absolutely nothing. I suppose he didn't love me as much as he said."

There was a sudden rowdy yell from downstairs in the Heads Common Room, and the three girls dashed downstairs, Lily in her pajamas, Loraina in her new "usual outfit" which comprised of men's sweat pants and a tank top, and Delilah in her jeans and top from the night before. They came upon a scene they never expected; Remus was on top of James, hitting him repeatedly as Sirius tried to pry the two apart.

"Bloody hell," Sirius was yelling. "Moony, cut it out!"

"Stop it!" Lily and Loraina yelled as one. All three boys froze, slowly taking in the trio standing at the base of the stairs.

"Remus, you need to be calm about this," Lily said softly. "We're in a war. This isn't really the time to alienate your friends, don't you think?"

"So what," Remus asked, "you just forgave Loraina? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Lily said with a shrug, linking arms with her friend beside her. "If I learned one thing from being captured, it's that you can't take those you care about for granted. No matter what happens."

Remus looked down at James, offering him a hand. James took it, and Remus hoisted him to his feet. He looked at him for a moment before shaking his head in frustration.

"I don't think it's that easy, Lily."

James was simply staring at Lily, his eyes looking pained. He looked as though he hadn't slept in days, which Lily supposed he hadn't. Not that she felt guilty for that.

"It should be," Delilah said strongly. "Look, I know I wasn't here for all of this. But if you pick up the paper, you'll see that people are dying. All over the place. At any second, any one of us could be next. I've come to love every single one of you like family. And I'm not willing to let this all fall apart just because of one flipping kiss."

"That one kiss," Remus said through his teeth, "broke my heart, Delilah. You of all people should understand that."

Sirius looked at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck at the reminder of his indiscretion. "Remus," he mumbled, "don't throw that in her face."

Delilah shook her head. "No, Sirius, it's fine. I do understand how hard it is. I know how bad it feels. But Loraina told you, didn't she? She owned up to what she did."

"Yeah," Remus muttered. "She did." He finally looked at Loraina, who was crying silently. "God, you're a mess."

Loraina looked hurt. "You don't have to be so mean."

"I didn't mean it that way," Remus quickly corrected. "I just...I mean..."

Loraina giggled a little bit through her tears. "It's okay."

There was a moment of tense silence before Delilah heaved a tired, heavy sigh. "Okay, that is it. Everyone. In front of the fire." Nobody moved. "ASSEMBLE."

They all jumped, walking over to the fire where they sat awkwardly on the floor, the girls on one side, the boys on the other, joined only by Sirius and Delilah, who immediately attached their hands.

"Group counseling. It begins now," Delilah said cryptically.

"I think this is something I would rather do one on one," Remus suddenly said, looking at Loraina once again. Delilah looked surprised.

"Well, if you'll actually sort it out on your own, then be my guest."

"Come on," Remus said, standing up and nodding toward the portrait hole. "Walk with me."

Loraina scrambled to her feet and joined him, keeping a safe distance between herself and her ex-boyfriend. "Of course."

She followed him out into the hall, and allowed him to lead them up a floor, where fewer students were. "We really should talk," Remus said, turning to her as he propped himself up on a window ledge. She followed suit, sitting cross legged on the window seat.

"Yeah, we really should," she nervously replied. "I mean, I've already told you how sorry I am."

"What are those scars?" Remus interuppted, cutting her off. Loraina's eyes widened for a moment before her eyes followed where his were staring; directly at her left wrist. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit," Remus said angrily. "What have you been doing to yourself?"

"Nothing," Loraina insisted. "Honestly, nothing."

"You know, the last thing you should be doing is lying to me again."

"When else have I lied to you?!" Loraina exclaimed angrily, hopping off the window sill. "The one thing I've always done is be honest with you. I told you what happened. I could have waited for you to find out, and when you did, I could have denied it. But I went to you no matter how hard that was for me."

"Hard for you?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Yes, hard for me!" Loraina screamed. She was angry now, tears of frustration in her eyes. "I lost _everything. _Delilah was gone, and she sent me the most awful letter I have ever received. You wouldn't talk to me, and neither would Sirius out of loyalty to you. Even James wouldn't. And of course I lost Lily, when she probably needed me the most. I just sat on the sidelines and watched it all fall apart. And to top it off, that day was the anniversary of my mother's death. You want to know what my life is? My life is being completely alone. My life is having a dead mother and an alcoholic father who _hates _me. My life is having not one person to turn to. So I turned to a fucking razor blade. _That _is my life."

Remus sat for a moment, his mind reeling with this new information, all of the things he had never known about his seemingly perfect ex-girlfriend. "Loraina, I-"

"You don't have to say anything," she burst out, on the brink of hysteria at this point. "I'm not trying to guilt you into forgiving me. I'm just trying to make you understand that I am suffering for what I did, and I thought you should know that."

"Loraina," Remus tried again, but stopped speaking as he watched her fall to the floor in a crying heap. He knelt down beside her and lightly touched her shoulder. Seeing her like this, despite everything that happened, made his heart twist in a way that was unbearable. He slowly picked her up and placed her in his lap, holding her to his chest and stroking her hair as she wept. "Shh, it's going to be okay. It's going to be all right."

Loraina calmed herself slowly, taking hiccupping intakes of breath. She blinked her sopping eyelashes, looking up at him. "I'm sorry..."

"Me too," Remus said gently, pushing a strand of platinum hair off of her pale face. "What do you say to friends?"

"Friends?" she asked, her voice laced with dissappointment.

"Friends for now," Remus clarified. "Until we get our footing again."

"That sounds perfect," she said, a weak smile forming on her face.

***

Meanwhile, in the Heads common room, Sirius, Delilah, James, and Lily sat on the floor in a tense silence as the portrait closed behind the retreating blondes.

"So," Delilah said awkwardly.

"So," Lily countered, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Suddenly, James's gruff, husky voice broke the silence.

"I have a gift for you. Can I go get it?"

"Sure," was Lily's noncomittal response. He scrambled to his feet and dashed up the common room stairs.

"Oh, hey, Sirius," Delilah said suddenly. "I left something important in your dorm. Come on!" The black haired boy looked confused.

"You didn't bring anything in my-"

"Just come on!" she hissed. Sirius got up, confused, and followed her out of the room. Lily remained on the floor, sighing at her friend for leaving her alone in this. James returned, holding three messily wrapped boxes.

"Sorry, I'm awful at wrapping..."

Lily couldn't help but laugh a little bit. He handed her a wide square one first that was relatively thin. She opened it slowly, biting her lip as she saw a red satin scrapbook. She opened to the first page, where there was a picture of James and Lily walking down the street in Hogsmeade, holding hands. She was laughing as he poked her side, and she remembered the moment clearly.

"Sirius took it," he said by way of explanation.

She continued to flip through, staring blankly at various pictures of them. She bit her lip again and set the book aside, moving on to the next box before she lost her cool in front of James. She opened it to find a set of leather-bound journals, all of which were obviously worn and used.

"Those are my journals, starting first year until this year," James explained softly. "I wanted you to have them. There's a lot of stuff about you, and us, and...yeah..."

Lily smiled a little despite herself. He was so very nervous. She whispered a thank you before grabbing the last box and opening it. Inside was a beautiful rose gold ring, with a small inlayed emerald in the shape of a heart.

James took a deep, shaking breath. "I bought that right before you were taken. It's...it's a promise ring. That I promise to always love you and protect you. And I promise to always save you, from whatever is out there. Even if you don't want me to love you, I'll keep loving you..."

Lily looked up at him, tears glimmering in her eyes. She suddenly grabbed the back of his neck, roughly pressing her lips to his as he fell back on the floor. His hands were instantly in her hair, and then traveling down her sides. She broke away from him, tears still in her green eyes.

"This doesn't fix things," she sniffled, "but it's a start."

"It's a start," James repeated with a grin, placing his hand on her cheek.


	29. Like a Two Sickle Hooker

The week between Christmas and New Years had been a somewhat awkward one for the Marauders and their female friends. James and Remus had yet to formally mend their friendship. Loraina seemed overly eager to please Remus at every given moment, and Lily and James participated in sporadic, uncomfortable conversation and the occassional surprise attempt at a kiss that almost always ended with one of them near tears. Delilah and Sirius, however, were preoccupied with their newly retained couple status.

New Years Eve came upon the group quickly, and Delilah had decided that it was absolutely neccesary to throw a party in the Room of Requirement, inviting any sixth or seventh year student from all houses who had remained at Hogwarts for the holidays. That is how Lily and Loraina found themselves in Lily's room an hour before the party, getting "glammed up" by Delilah. The golden blonde was wearing a skin tight cream colored dress with lace panels down her sides. She paired it with a pair of ivory pumps and big barrel curls in her long hair. Loraina was now wearing a jade green baby doll dress made of silk that felt to her more like lingerie than a dress, with a pair of pale gold high heels. Lily wore a black dress that was low cut and tight around the bust, fanning out at her hips in a short little skirt. A pair of strappy red shoes completed her look, which she stared at in the mirror, pulling the hem of her dress down.

Loraina shook out her beachy waves nervously. "I look like a prostitute. And not the good kind. Like, the kind you would find in Knockturn Alley."

"Oh hush," Delilah said as she hummed around to Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up". "You look amazing. If Remus didn't want you back before, he's going to be begging by the end of tonight."

Loraina shrugged. "I don't want to pressure him. We're friends for now, and that's it."

"To be honest, I don't know what James and I are," Lily sighed, running her hands through her curled and teased hair. "I mean, I kissed him when we were working things out on Christmas. Now we hug every once in a while, we talk like we're hardly friends...I just don't know."

"Well, you guys weren't really friends for long before you started dating," Delilah said, applying her eyeliner in the mirror. "So it's a little hard to go back to something that never existed."

"Is that why you went straight back into a relationship with Sirius?" Loraina asked curiously. Delilah shrugged.

"Maybe. I mean, not intentionally, but maybe. Without nothing, ya know?" Delilah rambled. "Is it odd that I'm nervous about this party? The fact that last time Sirius and I were at a party he ran off with Missy. And she's going to be there tonight."

"You have nothing to worry about," Lily said confidently with a shake of her red mane. "Jesus Christ, could this hair be any bigger?"

"It's hot," Loraina assured her. "Guys, I seriously look like a hooker. Like a two sickle hooker."

"Oh come on, you look like you at least cost a galleon," Delilah joked. Lily giggled.

"Maybe a galleon and a knut," Lily joined in. Loraina rolled her eyes.

"Let's just get this over with then. The boys are waiting downstairs," Loraina said with a nervous intake of breath.

The girls made their way down the stairs, slightly wobbly in their heels. The boys were sitting around on the couch, their backs to them. Lily held her hand out before either girl could make their presence known. The Marauders looked as if nothing had ever happened between them, for the first time in weeks. Remus was speaking, running his hands over his sandy hair.

"I mean, I want her back, you know?" he was venting. Loraina's jade green eyes widened and she attempted to go back up the stairs, looking nervous. Lily pulled her back, but cleared her throat.

The boys all leapt up in shock, turning and awkwardly covering up their conversation before finally laying their eyes on the girls. Remus's jaw dropped in shock for a moment before he recovered, shaking himself and then staring anywhere but his ex-girlfriend, who sighed sadly and leaned against the couch.

"You look amazing, Lily," James said quietly. Lily gave him a small smile.

"My hair is ridiculous."

"It's beautiful," he said sincerely. "I mean it."

"Thanks," she said, patting her hair down in the back a little bit. Sirius was simply staring at Delilah, looking a little dumbfounded.

"Well?" she asked with a sultry little giggle. He took two steps toward her before pressing her against the wall and ravenously kissing her. The remaining four stood awkwardly for a moment before James threw the nearest book at his best friend's back.

"Oi, mate, save it for the party," James whined, and Sirius simply grinned cockily. Delilah blushed, smoothing out her dress.

"Shall we?" she asked in a high pitched voice. Loraina threw an arm around her.

"Away we go," the platinum blonde laughed. "Let this party, and this year, be better than the last!"

"Ay!" Lily shouted, coming to Delilah's other side. Her face suddenly became serious as they walked through the halls. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. I fully intend on partying for the first time in my life."

"That's my girl!" Delilah whooped. "This is going to be amazing!" She skipped a head, walking backwards in front of her friends.

"You're going to trip," Loraina laughed, suddenly coloring as Remus fell into step on her other side. Sirius dashed up to his girlfriend, grabbing her hand and dragging her quickly down the hall.

"Pardon us," Sirius said with a wink, "we're just going to make a quick stop at the nearest broom closet."

"Unhand me, Black!" Delilah yelled jokingly, and as the entire group shared a laugh at Delilah and Sirius's antics, it suddenly felt as if nothing had ever come between them.

Loraina skipped forward a few steps and threw her arms out and her head back. "I want to _dance!" _

"You can dance when we get there," Remus laughed.

"Dance with me?" Loraina turned suddenly, a confident smile on her face. Remus looked surprised at her sudden change in behavior.

"Sure," he replied, a small grin playing on his lips.

A sudden cat call from behind them caused Loraina to turn. "Looking good, Parker!" Troy said with a wink at her. He and his friends caught up to their group, and he lightly tapped her butt. She squealed and took a step closer to Remus, who felt a sudden desire to put his arm around the girl beside him and punch Troy in the face all at the same time.

"You too, Evans," his friend Sam smirked at the redhead, who turned abruptly and colored immediately.

"Well, uhm, thank you?" she replied uncertainly. He walked up beside her, oblivious of the stare down he was receiving from James. Without thinking about it, James grabbed Lily around the waist possessively.

"She does look fantastic," James said pointedly. The boy put up his hands innocently.

"Sorry, mate," he whistled, backing away toward the Ravenclaws. Lily looked up at James curiously.

"What was that for?"

"I didn't like him looking at you like you're a piece of meat."

"Oh please, you're looking at me the same way," Lily said playfully, catching James off guard. "Come on, Jay, lighten up."

Hearing her say his nickname for him for the first time in a month caused a huge grin to spread across his face. He grinned even wider as he realized that the ring he had given her was on a chain around her neck, catching the light and glistening. They made their way into the party, with its dark interior, pounding music, abundance of alcohol, and masses of rowdy teenagers.

"I'm going to grab a drink," Delilah shouted over the noise. She weaved her way through a crowd of Slytherin boys, who all looked at her appreciatively, much to the chagrin of Sirius.

"Dance with me!" Loraina exclaimed, grabbing Remus's hand and dragging him onto the dance floor. "Loosen up!" she giggled, unbuttoning the top button of his black shirt. He gulped nervously, allowing her to lead him. Next thing he knew, she was grinding against him provactively in her tiny dress, pushing his hands onto her shapely little hips. He watched with wide brown eyes as she slithered her way down toward the floor, rolling back up seductively against him. _Oh bloody hell. _

Across the room, Lily was standing with James near the bar, and out of sudden nervousness, she grabbed the nearest drink and downed it, choking and blinking back tears.

"What was that?" James laughed.

"I don't have a flipping clue," Lily said. "But I need another one."

She grabbed a shot of firewhiskey, downing it as she heard Delilah cheer from a few people over. Her blonde friend made her way toward her, handing her a shot glass full of some kind of glowing blue liquid. Delilah held one in her hand as well.

"To new beginnings," the blonde shouted. Lily nodded, and the two clinked glasses before downing the liquid inside in one sharp motion. They slammed the glasses down hard, shaking their heads. "Merlin!"

Lily was suddenly woozy from her rapid intake of liquor. "I think I went too fast."

"I'm on my fourth already!" Delilah giggled, stumbling a little. A concerned looking Sirius put his bottle down and grabbed his swaying girlfriend around the waist.

"You okay, baby?" he asked her. She leaned back against him.

"I'm fine, boyfriend!"

Lily put a hand over her suddenly warm face. "Isn't this fun, James?"

"Yeah," James said nervously. Lily had never drank in her life, and here she was downing magically enhanced alcohol like it was water. He was offered a drink, turning it down in favor of looking out for the redhead next to him.

"Oh my God," Delilah laughed, "look at Loraina and Remus!"

"She really is a hooker!" Lily burst out. The two girls grabbed each other, leaning against the bar in hysterics while James and Sirius exchanged confused glances.

"Do you want to dance?" a reasonably handsome Gryffindor sixth year that James knew as Tim Smith asked Lily. Before he could intervene, Lily was weaving through the crowd with Tim. James sighed, ruffling his hair.

"Oh, hey, Freddy!" Delilah suddenly exclaimed, breaking away from Sirius to chase after a dark haired Hufflepuff. Sirius watched her go, and looked over at his best mate.

"I'm thinking we shouldn't drink tonight."

"Yeah," James agreed, watching Tim pull Lily close to him. The girl was certainly not the most coordinated dancer when inebriated, causing James to laugh. Tim was looking over her head desperately all of a sudden. Lily looked up at him, her green eyes widening. James knew that look. She was sad. Tim grinned and lowered his mouth to hers. James watched in horror as the tall boy began kissing _his _Lily. Lily, for her part, looked relatively unresponsive. He began to push her off the dance floor, still kissing her, toward a couch. Lily suddenly looked more than unresponsive as he pushed her onto the couch; she was struggling to get away.

"Hold on, mate," James said, excusing himself from Sirius. He made it to the couch quickly, pulling Tim away from Lily in a relatively nonaggressive manner. "Sorry, Tim, she's not in a right state and I can't let you do-"

He was cut off by a punch straight in the face. James reeled for a moment before shaking his head, an eerily angry smile forming on his face before he pulled his own fist back and sent Tim flying off the couch.

"James!" Lily gasped, standing shakily on her feet. "You're my hero!"

And then her arms were around him, and she was kissing him, and pushing him onto the couch, crawling onto him desperately.

"Lily," he breathed through the kissing. "Lily, you're drunk."

"I don't care," she panted. "I would be doing this sober."

"No, Lily, you wouldn't," James said reluctantly but firmly. He gently pushed her off of him, taking her hands. "I don't want to do this with you when you aren't sober."

Lily's eyes filled with tears, and he closed his eyes, anticipating her anger at his rejection. Instead, her arms were around his neck and she was hugging him tightly, sniffling.

"Thank you," she whispered into his neck. James smiled, wrapping his arms around her. "You know, I really do still love you. I don't just make those things up."

"And I really do still love you, too," James assured her.

"I know," Lily said softly. "You do really love me. And it's really nice. I want us to go back to normal."

"I do too, flower," he grinned, kissing the top of her head. "But we'll see how you feel about that tomorrow."

"Okay," she giggled, detatching herself from him. She watched with obvious entertainment as Delilah danced scandalously on a table, flipping her hair around and dipping low to the ground. Remus and Loraina were at the bar close by to her, taking shots and talking only to one another. Sirius appeared suddenly, attempting to wrangle his girlfriend off the table.

"Poor Padfoot," James laughed.

Lily laughed. "I want to go, too!"

"Oh, no you don't," James chuckled, standing to grab her around the waist as she eagerly made her way over to Delilah's little stage.

"And your little slut friend makes a spectacle of herself once again," a sarcastic, spiteful voice said from behind Lily.

"Excuse me?" the redhead snapped, suddenly not so giggly in her drunkeness. Now she was _mad. _

"You heard me," Missy said, nodding her head toward Delilah. "It's only a matter of time until Sirius gets sick of her attention whore ways and comes crawling over here for a good time."

Before James had time to react, Lily had backhanded the other girl across the face, pointing her finger in Missy's face. "Don't you _ever _talk about my best friend."

Missy's jaw dropped for a moment before she pursed her lips and tackled Lily onto the ground. James watched with wide, startled eyes as the two girls began to roll on the ground, chants of "Girl fight!" filling the area.

James sighed, seeing that Loraina now had Remus pinned to the bar, her face dangerously close to his. Sirius was still attempting to get Delilah down, and so he took control of the situation on his own. He grabbed Lily by the waist, pulling her off as she kicked and flailed at the air.

"James, no!" she screeched.

"Come on, babe," James laughed heartily. He continued to carry her until they were at the other end of the room.

"She deserved it," Lily mumbled darkly.

"Look at you," James said with a smirk, "a drunken Head Girl, starting fist fights."

Lily suddenly burst into tears. "I'm a terrible example! I'm awful.."

"Lily!" James rushed to say. "No, no, that's not what I meant!"

Lily continued to cry, throwing herself into James's arms. "Please take me home!" she wailed. James nodded and began to lead her out of the Room of Requirement.

He passed Loraina and Remus, who were now kissing so furiously against the bar that he was concerned any minute articles of clothing would be removed. Just as this thought occurred to him, Remus's black shirt was thrown over his face, leaving his blonde friend in only a white undershirt.

"Bloody hell," James mumbled under his breath, grabbing the shirt and continuing to walk Lily out. Delilah was fighting fiercely with Sirius, pushing him and hitting him repeatedly. "I'm taking Lily back!" he shouted over the noise to Sirius, who looked at him helplessly.

James and Lily reached the Heads common room just as she stopped crying. "Come to my room with me," she insisted, pulling him by both hands.

"Lily..." James began awkwardly.

"Just to sleep," she said with a little smile. "Please. I have all these horrible nightmares ever since you rescued me and I don't want to be alone."

James frowned. "Okay, Lils." She began to crawl into bed in her dress and heels. James laughed and stopped her, removing her heels. She suddenly threw her arms up over her head.

"Help!" she giggled. James colored, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, Lily..."

"Please?" she pouted. James sighed, hating that she had to be so...sexy, while so inebriated. He slowly pulled her dress over her head, leaving her in a black lace bra and little black boy shorts. She kicked playfully at the bedskirt, continuing to pout up at him. Suddenly she reached up, pulling him by the collar and kissing him hard, dragging him on top of her onto the bed. He pulled away, holding himself up on his elbows.

"Lily," James groaned. "Don't do this to me."

She pouted again. "Why can't you just be drunk like me?"

"Because I was trying to look out for you."

"Well, now we're here and you don't have to!" Lily exclaimed excitedly, running over to where she had dropped her small purse when she walked in. She pulled out what looked like a flask of firewhiskey. "I got this out of Tim's pocket when we were dancing." James looked at it wearily.

"This seems like an awful idea."

"Come on," Lily whined. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she whispered in his ear, tugging on his earlobe with her teeth. He groaned again and snatched the flask from her hand, downing most of it in one chug. He threw it aside and grabbed her bare waist, pushing her back toward the bed.


	30. Werewolves Are Impatient

**This is my first ever attempt at writing sexual things, so go easy on me haha. I know a lot of people aren't going to like this chapter, so here's a warning .This is sexual and inappropriate! =P **

**Also, my internet connection has been very faulty, hence my lack of updating. But I have still been writing, so never fear!**

"And you just, you don't care!" Delilah was screeching at her boyfriend, pounding him in the chest with her hands. Sirius caught her hands in his and looked down at her intently.

"Delilah, you know I care. Even when you're trying to pound me with your tiny, ineffectual little fists," Sirius said, kissing her hands. "And that's why I got you off the damn table. Half the guys in here want to drag you into the nearest corner to have their way with you."

Delilah pouted in apparent annoyance. "You didn't have to drag me like that."

"I tried reasoning with you!" Sirius yelped in his defense. "Look, we can either spend the night fighting, or we can have a good time."

Delilah thought for a moment before nodding, grabbing two glasses and filling them with firewhiskey. "Come on, then," she said, handing him one. He downed it, happy to have his girlfriend content once again.

Just a few feet away, Remus broke away from Loraina for air. "You're drunk," he panted.

Loraina shook her head. "Hardly. But you are."

He also shook his head. "Hardly."

He grabbed her and kissed her fiercely once again, ignoring the sudden cat calls from Sirius and Delilah. Delilah dragged her boyfriend onto the dance floor, and to his surprise, she did not begin to dance wildly as she usually did. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face into his chest. He smiled, holding her around the waist and dropping a kiss to her forehead. All around them, couples were acting wildly and promiscuously. For once, Sirius was content not being one of those couples. Despite his new buzz, he was content just holding his girlfriend, who looked up at him with her big blue eyes and gave him a sweet, lingering kiss.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear. He grinned.

"I love you more," he whispered back into her ear. She shook her head adamantly before returning to cuddling him. She was holding onto him tightly, and he had never felt happier at the feeling of having her back in his arms. It had only been a week, but it suddenly felt as though they had never really been apart.

"Come on," she said suddenly, grabbing his hand. She was pointing up at the big clock above them. "It's almost midnight!"

Ten!

Nine!

Eight!

Seven!

Six!

Five!

Four!

Three!

Two!

One!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Sirius captured his girlfriend in a searing kiss, bending for a moment to wrap his arms around her legs and lift her up into the air, spinning both of them as she giggled contentedly into his mouth.

"Happy New Year, boyfriend," she said as they pulled away, brushing her nose against his. He reciprocated the action, not caring that he was now _that _disgusting boyfriend guy.

"Happy New Year, pretty girl."

"Let's get out of here," Delilah suggested. Sirius grinned.

"My room?" he smirked.

"I think Remus already has that one," Delilah laughed, pointing to where Remus and Loraina were attempting to leave the party, but kept getting caught up in grabbing at one another. Sirius laughed as well.

"I have a plan," Sirius said, grabbing her hand. He dragged her down several hallways, shushing her giggles every now and then. He found an empty classroom in the Charms corridor. He sat her on the teaching desk before putting several desks together and waving his wand. They suddenly became a moderately sized bed with a silky burgundy comforter. Delilah stretched and crawled onto the bed, turning to her boyfriend with a mischevious little smirk.

"I like the way you think, Mr. Black."

He fell back onto the bed with her, capturing her lips with his with a contented groan. His hands began to roam as she unbuttoned his dark red shirt, yanking it off of him and running her hands over his biceps. She let out a soft moan that caused him to hike up her dress, running his hands over her butt, pulling her closer to him. He moved his hands to her back, where he found her zipper and undid it, slipping her dress off and kicking it toward their feet. He suddenly broke away, rolling over to the desk that was serving as a nightstand. He shot a silencing and locking charm on the door before turning back to her with a grin, supporting his weight as he hovered over her. She lightly scratched her nails down his back and he shivered, kissing her neck. She squirmed under him in her red bra and underwear. He moaned at the sensation and kissed her lips once again.

They continued getting hot and heavy until she suddenly broke away, breathing shakily. He looked down at her with concern, pushing her golden curls away from her face.

"Baby? Are you all right?"

"Sorry," she whispered. "I just...last time I did this, it wasn't exactly...my choice."

"Orion," Sirius growled, rolling off of her and running his hands over his face. "I'm sorry. I should have thought of that."

"No," Delilah said desperately, straddling him and running her hands over his chest. "I really don't want you to think of your cousin when you're fooling around with me."

He placed his hands on her hips with a smile. "Still, babe, I should have considered that. I mean, this is the furthest we've ever gone."

She smiled and kissed him sweetly. "And I don't regret it, and I don't mind. I just needed a minute."

Sirius's gray eyes twinkled as he rolled them back over, supporting himself over her. "You sure about that, Miss Monroe?"

"Oh yeah," she giggled, pulling him back down into a heated kiss.

Remus and Loraina finally made their way to the seventh year boys dorm, and Remus locked the door without separating his lips from hers. He kicked the numerous clothing items and various other things on the floor out of the way as he lowered her onto the bed, crawling over her and beginning to kiss down her neck and onto her chest. She gasped under him, and he smirked at the effect he had on her. She pulled him up, stripping him of his undershirt.

"Sorry," he said mischeviously, a wicked little smile on his face.

"For what?" she asked with a little nervous giggle. He kissed her with a small growl and ripped her dress open from the back. She gasped and arched her back into him.

"Werewolves are impatient," he said between kisses. She began to hastily undo the button on his pants, but he stopped her. "Hold on."

He slowly sat up a little bit, and she leaned up on her elbows, now only clad in a strapless little bra and some tiny panties. "What?" she asked nervously, licking her swollen lips.

"I just...you're so beautiful," he murmured, running his hands over her legs, stomach, chest, and then face, giving her a long kiss. "And I need to tell you something."

She sat up fully now, placing her arms around his neck, her fingers aimlessly playing with the back of his hair. "Yeah?"

"When I told you I almost fell in love with you, I lied," Remus said softly. He watched her face fall before continuing on quickly. "What I mean to say is...I did fall in love with you. I think I fell in love with you the moment you walked into our compartment on the train this year, and I never fell out of it."

"And I fell in love with you, too," Loraina said, happy tears springing to her eyes. "The second I saw you there, I was so nervous..."

"I love you," Remus said fiercely. "And I know we've had our problems lately, and I know you've been hurt, and I've been hurt...and it kills me to know you hurt yourself-" he was beginning to choke up, and Loraina cut him off.

"I love you too," she whispered, kissing him and capturing his bottom lip between her teeth. "And I want you."

She dragged him back down onto the bed as she removed her bra from the back, discarding it as he lay back down over her. She continued on undoing his pants, and they continued this way until there was nothing left between them.

"I want you," she whispered again as his hands stroked her body. He looked into her eyes deeply.

"Are you sure?"

"Surer than I've ever been," she whispered with a smile. He grinned, kissing her passionately before gently positioning them...

Lily and James were kissing fiercely, hands roaming everywhere underneath Lily's white duvet. James moved his hand up her back expecting to feel the back of her bra, surprised when he felt nothing there. He pulled back for a moment, looking at her with surprise. She giggled, pressing her bare chest against him as she began undoing his shirt. He got it off as fast as he could, continuing to kiss her, letting his hands wander to her chest. She let out a breathy moan into his neck as she began to kiss and bite it. He groaned, continuing his hand's movement.

As they began to go further and further, James suddenly pushing Lily gently away from him. She looked at him, confused.

"I love you, Lily," James began. "And as much as I want to do this with you, I can't."

"Wha-what?" Lily asked, looking disheartened.

"It isn't that I don't want to," James explained. "Trust me, I really, really want to. But it's like I said earlier. I don't want to go any further with you when you've been drinking. And I shouldn't have drank just to make this okay."

Lily thought about this for a moment before nodding, cuddling into him. He held her and smiled happily.

"This means you're my girlfriend though, yeah?" James asked suddenly.

Lily giggled. "Oh come on. You aren't going to do your trademark?"

James was confused for a moment before a slow grin spread across his lips. "Right. Sorry," he said, waiting a moment before saying, "Oi, Evans, go out with me?"

"Absolutely," she smiled, giving him a sweet kiss. They talked softly to one another before finally falling asleep.


	31. Hilariously Incriminating

The next morning, Delilah awoke with a pounding headache and sore...well, sore everything. She ran her hands through her messy hair, glancing up to find Sirius still asleep. She pulled the red sheet close to her as she got up to retrieve her dress, giggling as Sirius shivered with the absence of the blankets.

"Sirius," she whispered loudly, shaking him as she put on her clothes. "Sirius, come on. We've got to go back!"

"Morning," he yawned, leaning up on his elbows. "So, are you regetting last night yet?"

"No," she said indiginantly. "Are you?"

"Of course not," he grinned, getting dressed as well. "I wonder how our friends fared."

Delilah's mind thought back to the events of the wild party she had helped throw, and she groaned as she remembered the high level of Lily's drunkenness.

"Oh bloody hell," the blonde mumbled. "And Remus and Loraina. Jesus, they were hardly speaking just days ago, and all of a sudden they're attached at the mouth!"

Sirius righted the room with his wand, and their little getaway place resumed its appearance as a classroom. Sirius grabbed her hand.

"Come on, love, we'd better get back before everyone wakes up."

She dashed down the halls with him, shoes in one hand, resisting the urge to giggle loudly for no particular reason. When they swept into the Gryffindor common room, they shared a sweet kiss before separating up their respective staircases.

Sirius burst into his room rather loudly, whistling as he made his way into the bathroom to take a shower.

"Oi, Moony, you'll never guess what happened last night!" he yelled from the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. "Moony?"

Remus stuck his head out of his closed curtains. "Erm, hey Padfoot."

"Hey yourself," Sirius said with a dirty smirk, "how was Loraina last night?"

Remus blushed a deep red. "That's none of your business."

"No really, did you have totally hot werewolf sex?" Sirius asked, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. Remus's color got even deeper.

"Really, mate, shut up!" he hissed. Sirius suddenly widened his grey eyes.

"Oh hell, is she still here."

"Yes, and she's asleep, so shush!"

Sirius winked and sauntered back into the bathroom, closing the door. Loraina stirred at the slamming noise, waking up and blinking sleepily at the blonde boy.

"Morning," he said cheerily.

"Morning," she smiled, before blushing at her lack of clothing. "I should probably get out of here..."

"Probably," Remus said as she began to put on her undergarments.

"Uh, Remus," she said, "you sort of demolished my dress..."

"Er, right, sorry about that."

"How do you suppose I should go about getting to my room? You know, not wearing clothes."

Remus laughed at that, slipping on his boxers and getting up. He threw another pair of boxers from his drunk to her, and one of his grey sweatshirts. She pulled them on.

"Oh, I look so sketchy," she giggled, smoothing out her messy hair in the mirror. Remus came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her hips. He kissed her temple and swayed a little.

"I think it's cute."

"You're insane."

"For you."

"Well aren't you cute this morning?" she laughed, twisting to give him a kiss. The shower suddenly shut off, and Loraina widened her eyes before giving him another kiss and bolting from the room. Remus laughed, staring after her as Sirius came out of the shower.

"She gone?" Sirius asked, shaking out his black hair.

"Yeah," Remus replied. Sirius opened his mouth to say anything. "I'm not going to tell you anything, before you even ask."

"Oh come on!" Sirius whined. "At least give me the basics. Did you finally lose it?"

Remus sighed, sitting on the bed with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, you so did," Sirius shouted, grabbing his clothes and going back in the bathroom.

"I never said that!" Remus yelled at the closed door.

"Might as well have!"

Meanwhile, in the girl's dorm, Loraina opened the door to her room only to be dragged back out by Delilah, who was still wearing her dress from last night and no shoes.

"Lily's room, now!" Delilah demanded. "We all need to talk!"

Loraina looked down at herself. "Can I at least change?"

"No, your outfit is too hilariously incriminating," Delilah teased, dragging her friend down the stairs and toward Lily's room. They arrived quickly, dashing up Lily's stairs. Delilah burst through the door.

"Lily! We've _got _to talk to you!"

"Oh God!" Loraina gasped, covering her eyes as a very indecent James rolled out of the bed in shock. Lily pulled the covers over her head in embarassment.

"Bloody hell James, this is the second time I've seen you naked this year!" Delilah squealed, covering her face and turning away. "Put some clothes on, man!"

"It's not my fault you never learned to knock!" James shouted back, throwing on his boxers and pants. He grabbed his shirt off the floor and hugged the lump of covers that was Lily. "Bye, love. I'll see you later."

With that, a red faced James Potter evacuated the area.

Lily poked her head out from the covers. "I should probably put clothes on..."

"Probably," the other girls chorused, keeping their hands over their face. Lily dressed quickly, sitting atop her bed. Delilah lowered her hands warily, approaching the bed with a suspicous look.

"Is it safe to sit down?"

"Yes," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "We didn't...you know..."

"Well I did," Delilah smirked cockily. Lily dropped her jaw, smiling and hitting her friend with the nearest pillow.

"You did not!"

"I did!" Delilah squealed. "And it was _good." _

"Of course it was good," Loraina said, joining them on the bed. "It's Sirius freaking Black!"

"I'm doubting it was as good as vicious werewolf sex," Delilah smirked at Loraina.

"What?" Lily squealed. "Oh my God, are you wearing his _boxers?" _

"He ripped my dress!" Loraina defended, before turning bright pink. "I mean..."

"Oh my God, look at her neck!" Delilah laughed, pointing to where several bruises, some indicating teeth marks, were coloring her pale friend's neck. Lily burst into loud, amazed laughter.

"Who knew Remus Lupin would be such a freak?" Lily teased. Loraina blushed but smirked, looking strikingly like her other blonde friend.

"You think the werewolf's bad? You should see _his _neck," Loraina giggled. Lily let out a little scream, still laughing, and Delilah hit her friend with the same pillow Lily had whacked her with.

"Looks like we only have one little virgin left," Delilah said, looking pointedly at Lily.

"Not for my lack of trying," Lily joked. "Talk about rejected."

"James would never reject you!" Loraina exclaimed. "I mean, he's been waiting for this since he was eleven."

"Well, he didn't want to take advantage of me while I was wasted."

"That's sweet," Delilah said, her face softening.

"Yeah," Lily agreed, smiling at the thought of her night with James. "It was still an amazing night."

"What a start to the New Year," Delilah giggled. "Thank god I've been taking those contraceptive potions, just in case."

Loraina suddenly paled. "Contraceptive potions?"

Her two friends stared at her in shock. "You...you haven't?" Lily asked nervously.

"No!" Loraina burst out. "I mean, I didn't plan on.."

"Can werewolves even impregnate?" Delilah asked suddenly.

"Their junk still works fine!" Lily snapped. "Okay, what do we do?"

"Wait until she misses a period," Delilah suggested with a shrug. "It was her first time, I doubt she'll get preg-"

"Don't even say it," Loraina said, looking ill. "I can't believe...oh God..."

"It's going to be just fine," Delilah said, hugging her. Lily took her hand.

"It really will," Lily said. "Plus, worse comes to worse, you guys will have an adorable baby."

"Lily," Delilah groaned. "Don't!"

"Sorry," Lily said sheepishly. There was a light knock on the door.

"I'm meeting the guys at the kitchens for breakfast," James called through the door. "You girls want anything?"

"Comfort food, please!" all three girls said desperately to the door.

"Erm...what does that mean exactly?"

"Just tell the elves," Lily laughed. "They'll know what to do."

"Uh, all right..."

"Thanks, Jay!"

"Welcome, flower. See you."

They waited until they heard his footsteps disappear before resuming their conversation.

"Do I tell him?" Loraina asked nervously.

"No," Delilah said, just as Lily nodded. They looked at each other.

"He's got to know!"

"He'd just freak out and it might mean nothing!"

"What do you mean, it might mean nothing?" Loraina asked, looking terrified. "Like, it meant nothing?"

"No, no, honey," Lily interjected. "She means this whole scare thing."

"Oh. Okay," Loraina said, breathing once again.

"Look, why don't we go in my pool of a bathtub in some swimsuits and just relax?" Lily asked. "Try not to think about it. I'm sure it's all going to be fine."

"Okay," Loraina said with a shaky smile. Lily grabbed some bikinis that they all quickly changed into before going into the bathroom where the huge jacuzzi tub was. Lily turned on the faucets, flicking on a few extra streams of scented bubbles.

"Jesus," Delilah whistled. "You've got the digs, Evans."

"I know," Lily giggled, getting into the warm water, her friends following right after.

In the kitchens, Sirius was recounting his escapade with Delilah, sometimes in a little too much detail.

"Mate," James said with a wrinkled up face, "remember that the girl is like my sister."

"You two talk about Loraina and Lily all the time!" Sirius exclaimed. "And they're like my sisters!"

"Yeah, who you would sleep with," Remus laughed, taking a bite of the omelette the elves had made him.

"I would not sleep with Lily," Sirius defended. "But Raina..."

Remus glared daggers at him. "Shut it."

"Oh right, sorry. You've marked your territory and all," Sirius teased, letting out a little yelp as Remus put him in a headlock jokingly.

"Doesn't that like, turn her into a werewolf?" Sirius choked. Remus suddenly released him, his face pale.

"Could it?" he whispered, his voice choked. James laughed loudly.

"No, Moony, you can't make her a werewolf by sleeping with her."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, his face remaining colorless. "I mean, I never even thought about it but it would make sense..."

"You weren't Moony," James explained. "It's not as if you were _mating _with her."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and both of his companions silenced him with glares. He shrugged and continued to eat. Remus looked comforted.

"You're right," the blonde boy said, obviously convinced. "I mean, what could go wrong?"

Later that day, Remus and Loraina had gone for a walk on the grounds to have a much needed conversation about their relationship status. Delilah and Sirius were napping in his room; at least that's what they told their friends they were doing. Lily chose to believe them.

"Hey," a tentative James said from her doorway. She was laying on her bed, reading. She looked up and gave him a small, nervous smile.

"Hello James."

"I was wondering if I could talk to you," James said, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. She nodded and beckoned for him to sit on the bed. He sat at the foot, ruffling the back of his head. "Listen, I'm sorry for the way things happened last night. I nearly took advantage of you. And I feel that I still did. I want to make sure that this is really what you want."

Lily looked surprised for a moment, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It really is what I want, James. I promise that it is."

"I just need to know for sure," he said desperately, looking up at her pleadingly. "I really care about you. We haven't even had a chance to stop and just talk after everything that's happened. I don't even know what happened to you, while you were captured."

Lily took a deep breath. "That's hard to talk about."

"I know it is, Lils, but we've got to. I need to know, and you need to tell someone. Let me in."

"I'm scared."

"As much as I hate to say this, then maybe this was the wrong choice for you. I'll wait until you're ready to let me in, Lily."

"I am ready," Lily said. "I'm scared of what happened to me, not scared of you."

He reached out and touched her hand. "It's all over now. I promise."

Lily bit her lip and began her story. She told him how she was in her room one moment, and waking up in a cell the next. How they immediately began to torture her, both with curses and with their kicks and punches and slaps. How they would Polyjuice other prisoners. How little she had to eat, if anything. How she wanted death to come, but how she pictured his face and it was all okay.

Throughout it all, she would stop to sob, to take deep breaths, to grit her teeth and force herself to keep going. James sat and listened attentively. He would squeeze her hand, or stroke her leg, but he made no move to hold her or kiss her until the story was over. He crawled beside her and pulled her to him, stroking her hair as she cried lightly. She suddenly felt wetness on the top of her hair. Looking up at him, she found James biting his lip to keep from making a sound as he silently sobbed.

"My Lily," he cried, clutching her desperately. "I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry."

She wiped the tears off of his face, despite the fact that they were almost immediately replaced by new ones. "I love you."

"I love you, too," James croaked, taking shuddering breaths to stop his crying. "I love you so much, Lily. And I'm never going to let them near you again. Never."


	32. Keeping It In The Family

The holidays were soon over, and the gang settled back into their usual monotonous routine of classes and homework, but to their delight, they did so together. Delilah's reappearance had caused quite a stir, as well as the reuniting of all three of the "golden couples". They were back to being the group that everyone wished they could be a part of.

The Saturday of the Quidditch game dawned bright and early on the last weekend of January. The six sat at breakfast, Lily and Loraina relatively isolated from the strategic conversation that was being bounced back and forth between their friends. A bitter black haired fifth year girl sat further down with her arms crossed, sour due to the fact that Delilah had returned and therefore resumed her position as Gryffindor seeker.

"We have this in the bag," Sirius was saying confidently. James hit him over the head with the back of his hand.

"Don't curse it, you git!"

Sirius grimaced and rubbed the back of his black hair. "Oi, mate, unneccesary!"

"He's right," Delilah said unapologetically. "It's bad luck to say things like that. Besides, this is still a game versus the Slytherins."

She shivered as she looked up at the staff table, surprised to find that Orion was still seated there. Loraina followed her gaze.

"Why is he here? He hasn't been to class in weeks, I figured he had been fired."

Lily's green eyes widened, her face turning a pale white. "Oh my God."

Delilah reached over the table to her, squeezing her hand. "Don't worry, Lil, he'll be out of here soon."

Sirius looked at her curiously. "How do you know that?"

Delilah took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell Dumbledore about our...relationship. I have some evidence. I mean, it's illegal. He'd have to be sacked."

"But it happened before he was a teacher here," Lily put in nervously. "And besides, he's only the potions assistant."

Delilah frowned for a moment. "And you have no evidence that he was there?"

Lily shook her head, disheartened. "No, I don't. I wasn't exactly snapping pictures of the Death Eater lair."

James was sitting straight up, staring icily at the other man. Orion turned in their direction suddenly, and sent James such a knowingly sick smile that it took every inch of his will power to not rise and curse him immediately. Lily shivered in fear as his eyes hit her. Sirius's teeth gritted, his jaw set, while Remus clenched his fists. Delilah's eyes were as small as slits, but Loraina, the only one who had yet to be personally victimized by Orion Black, rose with a fury that none had seen in the small blonde. She was stalking toward the front of the Great Hall.

"Where is she-" Lily began, her green eyes clouded with confusion.

"Oh no," Remus said, dropping his fork. "Oh bloody hell."

She reached the staff table and slammed her hands on it. "How _dare _you!" she screamed. The Hall fell silent, and several teachers looked as though they wanted to intervene, but were in too much shock to actually do so. "How dare you even consider showing your face in here, you filthy, disgusting, pathetic excuse for a human being."

"Miss Parker," Orion said coolly. "I would advise you to not speak to staff in such a manner. 50 points from Gryffindor."

She practically growled at this, her face forming a terrifying glare. "You are the most vindictive, evil, manipulative, revolting man I have ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on, Black. And I swear to God, the second I graduate from here, you are going to be six feet under ground, you got that?"

Orion stood now, his towering height evident.

"Are you threatening a teacher, Miss Parker? 50 more points."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm threatening the Death Eater bastard who tortured not one, but two of my friends. And in turn, tortured all of us. Keep on taking points, you fucking bastard. I will not sit quietly and let you back in this castle."

"That's a dangerous accusation," he said, leaning his face mere inches from hers. "You might want to mind your words."

"And you might want to mind the company you keep," she hissed.

He laughed humorlessly. "You're nothing but a child. You don't know anything about this."

Loraina blinked at him before regaining her composure with a humorless laugh of her own. "You think that I don't know about this? You think that my best friend wasn't kidnapped from her room here, the safest place in Great Britain? You don't think I saw a boy who is like _my brother_ take Crucio to save the girl he loves? You don't think I was there, that I was fighting you and your little friends along with everyone else? And you don't think that I didn't see you rip your mask off to confront the girl you used to _date?" _

Orion looked pale now, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The staff was beginning to hum with these accusations. The Headmaster sat back, watching the exchange with a kind of detached interest.

"What is she doing?" Lily whimpered at the table. "No, no, no."

"God damn it, Loraina," Delilah hissed. "She's putting herself between a wand and a target now."

Remus stood abruptly and walked briskly to the staff table, where his blonde girlfriend was still shouting.

"Oh, that's funny. I guess nobody knew that you _dated _my best friend. That you _abused _her. That you made Delilah's life hell on earth! That you _tortured _my other best friend!"

Her shouts had become screams, and tears had begun to race down her fair cheeks. Remus grabbed her from behind, around the waist, and dragged her from the hall, kicking and screaming. He pushed her into the Entrance Hall, holding her at arms length in front of him.

"Loraina, what you've done is unbelievably dangerous," Remus said seriously, wiping the tears off of his panting girlfriend's face. "From now on, you musn't go anywhere by yourself. I want you with at least one other person at all times."

Loraina nodded with a whimper. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay love," Remus said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her hairline. "You meant well. Just, let's try and mean well a little quieter, yeah?"

Delilah was the next to appear, her face pale. Lily was close behind, James and Sirius right on her tail.

"Loraina," Delilah said. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Loraina extracted herself from Remus long enough to look at her friend with big, guilty eyes. "I'm so sorry, I just...I completely lost control and I don't know why."

Delilah launched herself at her best friend in a tight hug. "I'm not angry. I'm just afraid."

"We all are," Lily said softly. "And you and I have got to talk during the match. But the rest of you, you've got to go play."

Remus shook his head earnestly. "She's not okay, Lil."

"I'm fine, Remus," Loraina said with a watery smile. "I don't know what came over me, but I'm okay. You four need to go win us a match. I'm sorry to have done that right before your big game."

Remus kissed the top of her head before looking her seriously in the eyes. "It's all going to be fine, we'll make sure you're protected. I love you. I'll see you after the game."

"I love you, too," Loraina said, giving him a lingering kiss. "Good luck."

Remus grinned at her, holding her to him while he waited for James to say goodbye to Lily. The redhead was smothering him in kisses, murmuring in between and reassuring him of his abilities.

"Thank you, Lil," James chuckled. He kissed her one last time before untangling himself from him girlfriend, who gave him a sweet smile. The five Quidditch players made their way to the locker room while Lily and Loraina idly began to make their way to the pitch; they would be a little early, but it would give them some time to talk before the match.

They got prime seats in the Gryffindor section, and Loraina turned to Lily. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Why you freaked out this morning," Lily said, her tone serious. "Loraina, have you gotten your you know what yet?"

Loraina looked puzzled for a minute before a look of realization came over her features. She seemed to think for a moment before heaving a deep sigh. "No. Not since New Years. But I should have gotten it...I should have had it just two weeks later. I'm two weeks late.."

Lily gasped. "Oh, Loraina, this is bad. This is really bad."

Loraina chewed on her lip, shaking her head. "Oh God. What do we do?"

"During the party tonight, we'll grab Delilah and go take a test," Lily said. "There's a simple potion for it that I can brew in about fifteen minutes. We'll do it in my bathroom."

Their fellow Gryffindors were beginning to file into the bleachers, so the girls lowered their voices. "Okay. Oh Merlin, this is really, really bad."

"Let's just stay positive," Lily assured. "We'll not think about it while we watch the game."

"Not think about it?" Loraina yelped. "How can I just not think about it?"

The stands were full now, and the whistle blew for the Captains to shake hands. "By watching this," Lily said pointedly, watching her boyfriend shake hands with a particularly brute-like Slytherin. The teams shot into the air, and the two girls watched with baited breath as their boyfriends took to the sky.

Delilah flew up to Sirius, gave him a fiery kiss and a wink, before flying back into her position. Cat calls came from the Gryffindor stands. Lily tapped Loraina on the arm as the Slytherins immediately began to boo.

"Look, Orion isn't over there," Lily said, indicating where the staff was seated. "Neither is the headmaster."

Loraina grinned a little bit. "Maybe my crazy stunt worked."

"I hope so," Lily said plainly before turning her attention back to the game.

James flew with the quaffle toward the hoops, weaving in and out so quickly and with such dexterity that it seemed as if the Slytherins hardly had time to react.

"Merlin!" Loraina gasped. "Look at him go!"

Lily was grinning with a tentative pride, her nails digging into her best friend's arm nervously. "Oh, that looks so dangerous."

"He's fine, Lily," Loraina laughed. "He's been doing this for years."

"But he's never so...so...daring!" Lily stuttered as James scored a goal just before being elbowed in the face by the Captain of the Slytherin quidditch team. "Oh my God!"

Sirius whacked a Bludger at the Slytherin, which hit its mark right in the lower back, sending the boy, who the girls were now able to identify as Nott based off of the Slytherin's chanting, reeling.

"You are so lucky your boyfriend just sits in those hoops!" Lily screamed as she hid her face while James dodged a well aimed bludger. Just as she said this, Remus was practically tackled off of his broom by a Slytherin chaser.

"HEY!" Loraina yelled, standing. "THAT'S A FOUL!"

Lily laughed and yanked her friend back onto the bleachers. "Calm yourself, crazy girl, or you'll get us booted."

Delilah had flown down toward the action to see how her friends were faring when a silky voice came from next to her. She gasped and almost fell off of her broom, having not even noticed his approach.

"Hello," Regalus Black grinned at her. "So, you sleep with my brother right? And my cousin?"

"Shut up," Delilah hissed, beginning to fly away from him.

"I mean, I guess if we just keep it in the family," Regalus jeered, flying to her other side now. He winked at her. "You look good in Quidditch robes."

"You little creep!" Delilah growled. "What are you, like thirteen?"

"I'm fifteen," he corrected. "And I bet I'm more of a man than my older brother anyway."

Delilah burst into laughter. "Oh please, Reggie."

"Why don't you give it a go then?" he smirked. She curled her lip in distaste before she felt a sudden rush of pain on her side.

"DAMN!" she screamed, holding her right side. She winced. Probably a broken rib. At least.

"BACK OFF MY GIRLFRIEND REGALUS!" Sirius screamed from across the pitch.

"JUST KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY, BIG BROTHER!"

"SIRIUS! GUARD REMUS DAMN IT!" James shouted. "YOU CAN HAVE YOUR FIGHT OVER YOUR TERRITORY LATER."

Remus was, for whatever reason, taking quite the beating from the Slytherin chasers, who seemed dead set on flying directly into him. The match went on this way for three grueling hours. The chasers were abusing Remus, and the beaters were using Delilah as their main target. James was flying brilliantly, but could not seem to shake the chasers, who would use him as their practice punching bag before finally reaching Remus.

Delilah suddenly caught a glimpse of fluttering gold, right between Lily and Loraina's heads in the stands. She laughed and shot off toward it. Regalus was on her tail almost immediatley. She dove into the stands, directly between Lily and Loraina, who both shrieked and ducked. Delilah triumphantly held up the snitch, floating over her friends. Regalus, however, did not seem to break in time, and skidded sideways, tumbling over the side of the stands with both the blonde and the redhead.

"LIL! RAINA!" Delilah screeched. She flew down to the wreckage of the accident, where Lily was groaning and slowly sitting up, rubbing her arm.

"Bloody hell," she mumbled. "I don't even play Quidditch..."

"LILY!" James was yelling, flying to them with remarkable speed.

"You won, babe!" Lily beamed, kissing him. He let out a relieved laugh.

"I can't let you out of my sight for more than a minute, can I?"

Remus and Sirius approached soon after, Remus shouting to grab his reuniting friends' attention. "She's out cold! Rain! Raina, love, open your eyes baby."

Lily crawled over, her green eyes wide. "Oh no. Oh no. Oh no."

Loraina slowly opened her eyes. She looked straight past Remus, her eyes panicked as they met Lily's. "LILY!"

"It's okay, Loraina, the fall wasn't too hard," Lily soothed. "You mostly hit your head, didn't you? What hurts?"

"Mostly just my back and my head."

"Thank God," Lily breathed. "You landed on your back. I landed on my front."

"What's going on?" Remus asked, looking between them.

"Nothing!" both girls shouted. They stood as quickly as they could.

"You guys clean up, we ought to go to the Wing," Lily said. Delilah went to turn away with the suspicious looking boys, but Lily got her wrist. "Come on."

The three of them made their way up, Loraina hardly breathing.

"It'll be fine," Delilah soothed. "Odds are you aren't."

"And if I am?"

"We're almost out of school," Lily reasoned. "Practically adults now."

"Yeah," Delilah supported. "It's not as if you'll still be in school."

"But what about going to school to be a Healer?" Loraina said, her face pale. "What about Remus? We just got back together a month ago. How's he going to feel?" 

"He'll support you," Lily assured. "He's very caring, and he loves you."

Loraina heaved a deep sigh as they reached the Hospital Wing. "Here goes nothing, then."

Madam Gavioti approached them with a grumble of, "Always with the Quidditch!" She first examined Delilah's rips, which she gave her an anti-inflammatory potion for. She then checked Lily's wrists before moving on to Loraina.

"We think she might have gotten a head injury," Lily supplied.

"Well good lord, why didn't you tell me before?" the nurse screeched before sitting Loraina down.

"There's something else I'm more concerned about," the blonde mumbled, her cheeks flushed. "How can I tell if I'm...pregnant...?"

There was a sudden sound of crashing from behind them. All three girls whirled around, eyes wide, to find Sirius standing with his jaw almost on the floor.

"Sirius!" Delilah exclaimed. "You cannot say anything!"

"I...what...how..."

"Just shut up!" Delilah snapped, pulling him over to the group. "Either stay or go, but keep your mouth shut!"

"If you are, you'll glow for a few moments after you drink this," the nurse explained, handing her a vial of a golden liquid. Loraina nodded and breathed deeply for a good minute.

"Bloody hell, woman, we're all dying to know!" Sirius exclaimed. She glared at him but downed the potion like a shot before screwed her eyes shut.

"Don't tell me!" Loraina squeaked, her eyes still shut.

"Loraina-" Lily began, but was cut off by the arrival of two other people.

"Why's my girlfriend glowing?" Remus asked curiously. Loraina dropped the vial, her eyes flying open as she stared at the faint glow on her arm.

"Remus, you two need to talk," Lily said, her voice faint. She indicated the others follow her out, leaving the two blondes in the wing to sort out this new development.


End file.
